A serious incident occurred at the Srinagar airport on Friday involving a senior Army officer who allegedly assaulted four ground staff members of SpiceJet after being confronted about excess cabin baggage. The altercation took place at the boarding gate of flight SG-386, which was scheduled to depart for Delhi, resulting in several employees sustaining significant injuries.
A SpiceJet spokesperson reported that the officer was found carrying 16 kilograms of cabin baggage—more than double the airline’s permissible limit of 7 kilograms. When informed of the excess baggage and the need to pay an additional fee, the officer reportedly refused and attempted to forcefully enter the aerobridge without following necessary boarding procedures.
A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official intervened and escorted the officer back to the boarding gate. However, tensions escalated quickly upon their return. Witnesses claim the officer unleashed a physical attack on four SpiceJet employees, employing punches, kicks, and even a queue stand as weapons. The violence resulted in one staff member collapsing from the assault, while another who rushed to help was also kicked in the jaw, leading to bleeding from the nose and mouth.
The injured employees were promptly taken to a hospital where they are currently receiving medical treatment. Reports indicate that at least one individual suffered a spinal fracture, while others experienced facial and jaw injuries.
In response to the incident, SpiceJet has filed a First Information Report (FIR) with local police and submitted a formal complaint to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, demanding stringent action against the officer involved. Furthermore, the airline has commenced procedures to place the officer on India’s no-fly list in adherence to civil aviation regulations. CCTV footage of the incident has been collected from airport authorities and submitted to the police as part of the investigation.
