‘Deeply concerning’: Naveen Jindal slams IndiGo after ‘bent & unusable’ wheelchair returned to daughter Sminu Jindal

Sminu Jindal, who was returning from Purple Fest Goa, shared her ordeal on X, expressing disappointment over the damage to her custom-built wheelchair.

IndiGo stated that airport staff had immediately assisted her and provided an alternative wheelchair (Image source: Facebook)

Industrialist and Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal has criticised IndiGo Airlines after his daughter Sminu Jindal received her wheelchair in a “bent” and “unusable” condition following a Goa–Delhi flight.

Sminu, who was returning from Purple Fest Goa, shared her ordeal on X, expressing disappointment over the damage to her custom-built wheelchair. “On my IndiGo flight 6E 6264 (Goa–Delhi), my custom wheelchair – built specifically for my spinal cord injury – was returned to me completely bent & unusable,” she wrote.

“It’s a repeated trauma that thousands of persons with disabilities face when they fly. A wheelchair is not just equipment – it is our mobility, our independence, our dignity. Once its frame is bent, it can never be repaired,” she added.

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Further, Sminu urged airlines to create dedicated, protected spaces for wheelchairs onboard and ensure staff are properly trained to handle such devices and situations. “Safety of assistive devices is mandatory. Somebody’s life & life’s earnings depend on it,” she wrote, tagging Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.

Resharing his daughter’s post, Naveen Jindal termed the incident “deeply concerning”. On X, the BJP MP wrote, “A wheelchair is not just mobility; it represents dignity and independence. Airlines must handle assistive devices with utmost care and respect. It’s time for stronger protocols and better sensitivity training.”

See the post here:

What happened with my daughter @SminuJindal is deeply concerning and reflects a larger systemic issue.

A wheelchair is not just mobility, it represents dignity and independence. Airlines must handle assistive devices with utmost care and respect.

It’s time for stronger… https://t.co/KXBA0jkDoN

— Naveen Jindal (@MPNaveenJindal) October 12, 2025

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IndiGo has apologised for the incident. “We are concerned to learn of your experience and sincerely regret the inconvenience caused. We always strive to ensure the utmost care for assistive devices and assure you that the matter is being reviewed diligently,” the airline wrote on social media, adding that it had been trying to contact Sminu to resolve the issue.

In another post, IndiGo stated that airport staff had immediately assisted her and provided an alternative wheelchair. “We understand the importance of an assistive device and assure you that we remain available to extend any support you may require… Please be assured that we are continually strengthening our efforts to ensure the most sensitive handling and care for all our customers’ needs,” the statement added.

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