NEW DELHI: In a bizarre incident aboard an IndiGo flight on the Mumbai–Kolkata route, a male passenger allegedly slapped a co-passenger across the face before take-off on Friday. The incident occurred after boarding was completed and before the aircraft began taxiing from the Mumbai airport.
The flight (6E 138) landed at Kolkata airport at 5.35 am, where the two individuals involved were handed over to the police. Both were detained at the NSCBI airport police station and later released. The accused was not arrested but was allowed to leave after being issued a formal warning.
Police sources suspect that the victim may have mental health issues. However, the identities of both passengers have not been disclosed by authorities.
On Friday evening, IndiGo issued a statement on X, saying, “We are aware of an incident involving a physical altercation on board one of our flights. Such unruly behaviour is completely unacceptable and we strongly condemn any actions that compromise the safety and dignity of our passengers and crew. Our crew acted in accordance with established Standard Operating Procedures.”
“The individual involved was identified as unruly and handed over to the security authorities upon arrival. All appropriate regulatory agencies have been duly informed, in line with protocol. We remain committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment on all our flights,” the statement added.
According to sources, the alleged assault happened when the boarding process had concluded, and passengers were seated. In a video posted on X (whose authenticity TNIE could not independently verify), a seated passenger is seen suddenly slapping another passenger who was walking towards the front of the aircraft. Crew members immediately intervened and escorted the victim away. In the video, a few passengers can be heard protesting, and the victim is seen crying.
A message was promptly sent to the IndiGo office at Kolkata airport, alerting them to the presence of two unruly passengers onboard. Upon arrival, the captain requested that the two individuals deplane before allowing other passengers to disembark.
Security personnel from both the CISF and IndiGo were present at the bay and escorted the individuals to the terminal building, from where they were handed over to the police.