New Delhi: A video of an Indian student being brutally pinned to the ground and handcuffed by US airport authorities at Newark Liberty International Airport sparked a wave of outrage on social media.
The viral footage shows at least four officials forcefully restraining the young man, with two officers pressing their knees on his back and others tying his hands and legs.
The video was first shared by Indian-American entrepreneur Kunal Jain, who witnessed the incident. “He came chasing dreams, not causing harm… I felt helpless and heartbroken,” Jain posted on X, appealing to the Indian Embassy to intervene.
The Indian Consulate in New York later responded, saying, “We have come across social media posts claiming that an Indian national is facing difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. We are in touch with local authorities in this regard. The Consulate remains ever committed for the welfare of Indian Nationals."
Have a look at their statement here:
Speaking to NDTV, Jain recounted how the visibly distressed student was allegedly treated like a threat. “He seemed disoriented and was speaking in Haryanvi… The police didn’t understand him and refused to let me help interpret,” Jain said. According to him, the situation escalated when the student was declared unfit to fly by the pilot, leading to more officers arriving at the scene.
“The officials emptied the queue, pinned him to the ground, tied his limbs… I literally started crying,” Jain said. He added that the student kept repeating in Hindi, “Main paagal nahi hoon, yeh mujhe paagal bana rahe hain (I am not mad, they are trying to prove I am mad).”
While the reasons for his visa denial remain unclear, Jain said that “something might have occurred at the port of entry,” and criticised how the Indian student's “dignity was stripped away in public view.”
