A disturbing incident aboard an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Kolkata has come to light after video footage showed a passenger being physically assaulted while apparently suffering from a panic attack.
A viral video circulating on social media platform X shows a man in a white shirt striking a fellow passenger who was reportedly experiencing a panic attack during the flight. The victim, who was wearing a skull cap, can be seen being attended to by cabin crew before the assault takes place. The incident reportedly took place mid-air on Friday.
When confronted by other passengers and crew members about his actions, the alleged perpetrator justified his behaviour, saying in Hindi: "uski wajah se pareshan ho rahe hain hum log" (we are suffering because of him).
The footage shows air hostesses attempting to de-escalate the situation, with crew members heard asking the aggressive passenger not to raise his hand. A person recording the incident can be heard questioning the assailant: "We all have problems, but you should not have raised your hand."
The video concludes with cabin crew escorting the offending passenger towards the aircraft's exit, though it remains unclear when and where the incident occurred.
The video has prompted widespread condemnation on social media, with users demanding swift action against the perpetrator.
Sanjay Hegde, a senior advocate at the Supreme Court, shared the footage and questioned the airline's response. "What action did the airline take against the offending passenger? Why was he not deboarded and put on a no-fly list?" he asked.
Other social media users expressed their disgust at the incident. One wrote, "This hateful bigot who slapped a fellow passenger should be booked under relevant laws and legal action must follow. He must be barred from flying, at least on IndiGo. It is your responsibility to bring the facts and the action taken against that erring passenger to the public."
Another user commented, "This is too much. Action must be taken against the passenger who hit the bearded young man just because of his identity."
According to reports, the individual who assaulted the fellow passenger was transferred to airport security personnel following the plane's arrival in Kolkata. IndiGo has categorised him as a "disruptive passenger," though the carrier has yet to release a formal statement regarding the episode, as reported by news agency PTI.
