Senior Army Officer Accused of Assaulting SpiceJet Staff Over Baggage Dispute at Srinagar Airport
A violent altercation took place at Srinagar airport on Friday involving a senior Army officer and several SpiceJet ground staff members. The incident, which arose from a dispute over excess cabin baggage, resulted in four employees being hospitalized with significant injuries. The confrontation occurred at the boarding gate for flight SG-386 to Delhi.
According to a SpiceJet spokesperson, the officer attempted to board the flight with 16 kilograms of cabin luggage, exceeding the allowed limit of 7 kilograms. When requested to pay for the additional weight, he allegedly refused and tried to bypass the boarding process, contravening aviation security rules, by forcing entry onto the aerobridge.
He was subsequently brought back to the boarding area by a CISF official. Upon his return, the conflict intensified as the officer reportedly began attacking the SpiceJet staff. He used a combination of punches, kicks, and a queue stand to assault the employees. One staff member lost consciousness due to repeated hits, yet the officer continued his assault. Another employee, attempting to help the unconscious colleague, was kicked in the jaw, resulting in bleeding from the nose and mouth.
The injured employees were quickly transferred to a hospital for medical treatment. Among the injuries, one staff member suffered a spinal fracture, while others sustained injuries to their jaws and faces.
SpiceJet has lodged an FIR with the local police and has approached the Ministry of Civil Aviation, demanding stringent measures against the officer involved. The airline is also pursuing the process to have the officer placed on India’s no-fly list, adhering to aviation regulations. Airport authorities have provided CCTV footage of the incident to the police to aid in the ongoing investigation.
