Srinagar, Aug 03: A Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army allegedly assaulted SpiceJet ground staff at Srinagar Airport during a heated altercation over excess cabin baggage, causing serious injuries including a spinal fracture and a broken jaw. The incident occurred at Boarding Gate No. 2 minutes before the scheduled departure of SpiceJet Flight SG-386 to Delhi on July 26.
The officer was later identified as Lt. Colonel Ritesh Kumar Singh, currently posted at the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) in Gulmarg, sources confirmed to Srinagar based news agency Kashmir Dot Com, adding that the army officer was boarding to travel on Seat No. 24D-Delhi SpiceJet flight scheduled to depart at 1810 hours from Srinagar on July 26.
Sources said the dispute erupted when the Army officer was informed that his two pieces of cabin baggage weighed 16 kilograms—more than double the permitted 7 kg limit. “When politely asked to pay the applicable charges, he allegedly refused and attempted to forcefully board the flight by entering the aerobridge without completing the required boarding formalities. A CISF official intercepted him and escorted him back to the gate,” they said.
According to SpiceJet’s official statement, the situation quickly turned violent at the boarding gate.
“The passenger grievously assaulted our staff members with punches, repeated kicks, and even used a queue stand as a weapon,” said a spokesperson for the airline. “One employee collapsed unconscious but was continuously kicked. Another suffered serious facial injuries, including a fractured jaw, after being struck while assisting his colleague.”
Medical teams at the airport provided initial aid before the injured employees were rushed to hospital. One of the staffers reportedly sustained a spinal fracture, while another suffered jaw and facial injuries with bleeding from the nose and mouth.
The airline has secured CCTV footage from airport authorities and submitted it to police as part of the investigation. A First Information Report (FIR) has been formally registered against the officer with local police.
SpiceJet has also written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, calling the assault “murderous” and urging appropriate action.
“We strongly condemn any act of violence against our employees and will pursue this matter to its fullest legal and regulatory conclusion,” the statement read.
Personnel from the Airport Security Group (ASG) swiftly intervened and brought the situation under control without disrupting flight operations. The flight later departed on schedule.
As of now, there has been no official response from Army. The matter is under active investigation by the local police. (KDC)
