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Army officer charged with ‘murderous assault’ for attacking SpiceJet staff at Srinagar airport over baggage
The staff members “suffered a spinal fracture and serious jaw injuries after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks and a queue stand.”
A senior Army officer was charged with "murderous assault" after an issue regarding excess baggage with SpiceJet Airlines turned violent at Srinagar Airport last week. The officer reportedly assaulted four SpiceJet staffers, leaving them with a spinal fracture and injuries to the jaw.
The incident took place on July 26, SpiceJet said in a statement.
As per the official statement from the airlines staff members “suffered a spinal fracture and serious jaw injuries after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks and a queue stand.” The airline further shared that the incident took place at the boarding gate of flight SG-386 from Srinagar to Delhi on July 26, 2025.
“One SpiceJet employee 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. The injured employees were rushed to hospital and remain under treatment for the grievous injuries sustained,” read the statement issued by SpiceJet.
The video of the incident went viral on social media on Sunday, August 3. In the video, the passenger is seen violently assaulting the staff with a queue stand as well.
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The airline stated that the dispute arose after the staff flagged to the passenger that he was over the limit for excess baggage.
The passenger, a senior 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," said SpiceJet.
"At the gate, the passenger grew increasingly aggressive and physically assaulted four members of the SpiceJet ground staff," the airline added.
As per SpiceJet, an FIR has been registered with the local police, and the process to put the passenger on a no-fly list has also been initiated.
"SpiceJet has 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 has secured the CCTV footage of the incident from the airport authorities and handed it over to the police," the official statement from the airline spokesperson added further.
