A senior Army officer grievously assaulted four SpiceJet employees at the boarding gate of flight SG-359 from Srinagar to Delhi on Saturday, 26 July.
The incident came to light on Sunday morning after journalist Tarun Shukla shared the disturbing video of the assault on X, in which a man in a red T-shirt can be seen brutally hitting an airline employee with a queue stand.
Moments later, he shared the official statement from SpiceJet, confirming the incident. In the statement, the airline made the shocking revelation that its "staff members suffered a spinal fracture and serious jaw injuries after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks and a queue stand."
According to the statement, the accused, identified as a senior army officer, continued his brutal attack even after one of the employees collapsed unconscious on the floor.
The severely injured employees are receiving treatment in hospital, the airline said.
What led to the attack?
The army officer carried excess baggage, weighing more than double the permitted limit. When asked to pay for the excess baggage, he refused to pay and instead forcefully entered the aerobridge.
"He was escorted back to the gate by a CISF official. At the gate, the passenger grew increasingly aggressive and physically assaulted four members of the SpiceJet ground staff," the statement said.
The airline said that an FIR has been filed in the matter and SpiceJet has initiated a process to put the passenger on a no-fly list.
The airline has also written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation informing them about the "murderous assault on its staff" and requested action against the passenger.
