The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has placed an Army officer on the national no-fly list for five years after he allegedly assaulted a SpiceJet employee at Srinagar airport last month.
The incident occurred on July 26 when the officer attacked four airline ground staff during a dispute over excess cabin baggage. SpiceJet employee Mudasir Ahmad, who sustained a spinal fracture, recalled that the passenger became violent after being told his hand baggage exceeded the permitted limit of one bag weighing 7 kg.
“He hit me on the face with baggage, slapped me, used his fists and feet, and finally punched me. I fell down,” Ahmad told ANI. He added that the officer’s hand baggage weighed 16 kg and included two bags, in violation of airline rules.
Ahmad further alleged that the officer pushed Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel and forcibly entered the boarding gate before being restrained. At the gate, he reportedly threw items from his bag at another airline staffer.
On August 3, the Indian Army said it was aware of the incident and was fully cooperating with the investigation. “The Indian Army is committed to upholding the highest standards of discipline and conduct and takes all allegations seriously,” it said in a statement.
The DGCA order makes the officer ineligible to board flights in the country for a period of five years, the maximum ban permitted under aviation regulations for unruly passenger behaviour.
