Army officer 'assaults' SpiceJet staff at Srinagar airport, FIR lodged

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SpiceJet on Sunday said a senior Army officer, who was to board a flight to Delhi, assaulted four airline ground staffers at the Srinagar airport on July 26, causing a spinal fracture to one of them.

An FIR has been registered with the local police and the airline has initiated the process to place the passenger on the no-fly list in accordance with civil aviation regulations, the airline said and added that the assault happened after the passenger was told to pay for the extra cabin baggage.

Video clips of the incident shared on social media showed the passenger assaulting the staff and one of them being hit with a queue stand at the airport.

The injured were taken to the hospital and are undergoing treatment.

"A passenger grievously assaulted four SpiceJet employees at the boarding gate of flight SG-386 from Srinagar to Delhi on July 26, 2025. Our staff members suffered a spinal fracture and serious jaw injuries after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks and a queue stand," SpiceJet said in a statement.

According to the airline, one employee collapsed unconscious on the floor but the passenger continued kicking and hitting the fainted employee.

"Another staff member suffered bleeding from the nose and mouth after receiving a forceful kick to the jaw while bending down to assist the colleague who had fainted," it added.

SpiceJet said the passenger, a senior Army officer, was carrying two pieces of cabin baggage weighing a total of 16 kg, more than double the permitted limit of 7 kg.

"When politely informed of the excess baggage and asked to pay the applicable charges, the passenger refused and forcefully entered the aerobridge without completing the boarding process - a clear violation of aviation security protocols. He was escorted back to the gate by a CISF official," the statement said.

At the gate, the airline said the passenger grew increasingly aggressive.

It could not be immediately ascertained whether the passenger was detained at the airport after the incident.

An FIR has been registered with the local police, and the airline has initiated the process to place the passenger on the no-fly list in accordance with civil aviation regulations, the statement said.

SpiceJet has also written to the civil aviation ministry, "apprising them about the murderous assault on its staff and has requested appropriate action against the passenger".

The airline also said that it has secured the CCTV footage of the incident from the airport authorities and handed it over to the police.

Strongly condemning any act of violence against its employees, SpiceJet said it will pursue this matter to its fullest legal and regulatory conclusion.

Meanwhile, IndiGo, on Saturday, announced imposing a flying ban on the passenger who slapped a co-traveller onboard the Mumbai-Kolkata flight on Friday.

The incident occurred in the flight 6E138 and after landing, the perpetrator was handed over to the security authorities at the Kolkata airport. The perpetrator was also declared as unruly, a source had said on Friday.