Army Officer Attacks SpiceJet Staff At Srinagar Airport Over Excess Baggage, Causes Spinal Fracture & Jaw Injury

Srinagar: An army officer allegedly assaulted four SpiceJet employees at Srinagar Airport, leaving one of them with a spinal fracture and another with a serious jaw injury.

A purported video of the incident shared on social media on Sunday shows the man fiercely assaulting the employees with what seems to be a metal signboard he picks from the ground. A CISF official is seen intervening and pushing the man away, who continues to kick and punch the employees.

In a statement, the Indian Army said that this issue has come to their notice and they are awaiting the conclusion of the pending investigation. "The Indian Army is fully committed to maintaining discipline and mutual respect in all civil spaces across the country," stated the Army.

In a media statement, SpiceJet said the passenger, whose name it did not reveal but said he was a senior army officer, grievously assaulted four SpiceJet employees at the boarding gate of flight SG-386 from Srinagar to Delhi on July 26, 2025. "Our staff members suffered a spinal fracture and serious jaw injuries after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks and a queue stand," the airline said.

The airline, in its statement, said that one of the SpiceJet employees who was attacked by the army officer collapsed unconscious on the floor, "but the passenger continued kicking and hitting the fainted employee". Another staff member suffered bleeding from the nose and mouth after receiving a forceful kick to the jaw while bending down to assist the colleague who had fainted, it said. The injured employees were rushed to the hospital and remain under treatment for the grievous injuries sustained.

The airline said the army officer was carrying two pieces of cabin baggage weighing a total of 16 kg, more than double the permitted limit of 7 kg.

"When politely informed of the excess baggage and asked to pay the applicable charges, the passenger refused and forcefully entered the aerobridge without completing the boarding process – a clear violation of aviation security protocols. He was escorted back to the gate by a CISF official. At the gate, the passenger grew increasingly aggressive and physically assaulted four members of the SpiceJet ground staff," the airline said.

A CCTV video shared on social media shows the man arguing with the staff before picking up his cabin baggage and rushing away.

An FIR has been registered with the local police, and the airline has initiated the process to place the passenger on the no-fly list in accordance with civil aviation regulations, the airline said.

SpiceJet has also written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation appraising them about the "murderous assault" on its staff and has requested appropriate action against the passenger. The airline said it has secured the CCTV footage of the incident from the airport authorities and handed it over to the police.

"SpiceJet strongly condemns any act of violence against its employees and will pursue this matter to its fullest legal and regulatory conclusion," it said.

Director Srinagar Airport Javaid Anjum told ETV Bharat he was out of the station. “I can't speak now as I am out of the station. I will speak tomorrow when I return to Srinagar,” he said.

Army Officer Booked, Files Counter Complaint

Police registered a case against the army officer under Section 115 of the BNS for assaulting employees of SpiceJet airline. Section 115 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) deals with the offence of voluntarily causing hurt to another person. The officer also filed a counter-complaint with the police alleging assault, following which police have registered an FIR against the airline staffers.

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