Army Officer Thrashes SpiceJet Staff Over Baggage Fees at Srinagar Airport
A senior Army officer allegedly assaulted multiple SpiceJet employees at Srinagar airport on July 26 after a dispute over excess cabin baggage fees. The altercation, which occurred during the boarding of a flight to Delhi, left four airline staff members with serious injuries and has prompted the airline to initiate a no-fly ban against the officer. The incident was captured in a video that has since gone viral on social media, sparking public outrage.
The confrontation began when the passenger, identified as a Lieutenant Colonel, was informed by ground staff for flight SG-386 that his two cabin bags, weighing a total of 16 kg, exceeded the 7 kg limit. According to SpiceJet, when asked to pay the applicable charges for the excess weight, the officer refused and forcibly entered the aerobridge without completing boarding formalities, which constitutes a serious breach of aviation security.
After being escorted back to the boarding gate by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, the officer allegedly became violent. SpiceJet stated that he physically attacked four of its employees, punching and kicking them. One staff member was knocked unconscious and repeatedly kicked while on the ground, and another who intervened suffered a kick to the face, resulting in bleeding from the nose and mouth. The reported injuries are severe, including a spinal fracture and serious jaw trauma. The injured employees were hospitalized and are undergoing medical treatment.
SpiceJet has strongly condemned the incident, describing it as a “brutal” and “murderous assault”. The airline has filed a First Information Report (FIR) with local police and is cooperating with authorities by providing CCTV footage of the confrontation. In addition to pursuing legal action, SpiceJet has initiated the process to place the officer on the no-fly list in accordance with regulatory provisions.
The Indian Army has acknowledged the incident and stated that it is awaiting the conclusion of the investigation. “This issue has come to the notice of the Indian Army, and we are awaiting the conclusion of the pending investigation,” an Army official told CNN News18. The official added, “Indian Army is fully committed to maintaining discipline and mutual respect in all civil spaces across the country”
