“The passenger grievously assaulted our staff members"
A Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army has been booked for allegedly assaulting SpiceJet ground staff at Srinagar airport, Jammu and Kashmir, on July 26, 2025.
The incident left multiple employees with serious injuries.
An FIR under Sections 115(2), 126(2), 351(2), and 131 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been lodged at Budgam police station.
The accused, Lieutenant Colonel Ritesh Kumar Singh, is currently posted at the High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg, North Kashmir.
The altercation reportedly began when airline staff asked the officer to pay for excess baggage.
He was carrying 16 kg of cabin baggage, more than double the 7 kg limit, and refused to pay the charges.
Singh then forcefully entered the aerobridge without completing boarding procedures, violating security protocols.
Escorted back by a CISF official, the officer allegedly became aggressive and attacked four SpiceJet ground staff.
The airline said: “The passenger grievously assaulted our staff members with punches, repeated kicks, and even used a queue stand as a weapon.”
According to the airline, one employee collapsed unconscious and was “continuously kicked”.
It added: “Another suffered serious facial injuries, including a fractured jaw, after being struck while assisting his colleague.”
SpiceJet confirmed that a staff member suffered a spinal injury, as well as jaw and facial injuries.
Medical teams provided immediate care and transferred the injured employees to hospital for specialised treatment.
CCTV footage captured the Army officer allegedly attacking staff at Boarding Gate No. 2, minutes before the scheduled departure of Flight SG-386 to Delhi.
SpiceJet has written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation over what it called a “murderous assault” and has begun the process of placing the passenger on the no-fly list under DGCA norms.
Watch the Video. Warning – Violent Images
“Murderous assault” by an Indian Army officer on four SpiceJet staff members at the boarding gate of flight SG-386 from Srinagar to Delhi on July 26th, following a dispute over excess cabin baggage charges. https://t.co/LYffRf6oft
— The Aviation Brief (@TheAviationBrf) August 3, 2025
The airline said in a statement:
“We strongly condemn any act of violence against our employees and will pursue this matter to its fullest legal and regulatory conclusion.”
The Indian Army has acknowledged the incident and issued a statement:
“The matter involving an alleged altercation between an Army personnel and airline staff at Srinagar Airport on 26 July has come to the notice of the Indian Army.
“The Indian Army is committed to upholding the highest standards of discipline and conduct, and takes all allegations seriously.”
It added that the Army would extend “full cooperation to the authorities in investigating the case”.
Police are reviewing the CCTV footage handed over by the airline as part of the ongoing investigation.
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