He hit me, punched me; I was only doing my job: SpiceJet employee thrashed by Army officer

Srinagar: Mudasir Ahmad Khan, the SpiceJet employee who has been bedridden due to alleged assault by an army officer at Srinagar airport last month, said he was targeted for doing his work honestly. He demanded stern action against the assailant to prevent recurrence of such incidents. Four employees of the airline were assaulted by Lieutenant Colonel R K Singh on July 26 after Khan had asked the army officer at pay charges for carrying extra cabin baggage according to the norms set by SpiceJet.

"I saw this man was carrying two cabin bags and asked him to stand aside so that they could be weighed. Against an allowance of 7 kilogram per piece of cabin baggage, this man was carrying two which weighed 16 kilograms," Khan told media reporters from his home in Srinagar where he has been bedridden since the day of the incident. Khan said he asked the army officer to pay for extra baggage but he became irate and misbehaved with him and other colleagues before turning violent. "He hit me with the bag, he punched me and slapped me till blood started oozing from my mouth and nose. Then I fell unconscious. Later I saw in the videos that he was not allowing anyone to even pick me up. He even assaulted four employees," the injured man said. Khan said he only stopped Lieutenant Colonel Singh as a part of his duty. "Had I been wrong, then it was a different story. The airline ticket has clearly mentioned the baggage allowance for each passenger, however, this gentleman claimed that he does not know about it. I was only doing my job honestly," he added.

He demanded that the erring army officer be punished for his violent acts and said "What happened with me can happen to someone else as well. So he should definitely be punished for it." Police have registered a case against Singh for allegedly assaulting and injuring four employees of a private airline at the Srinagar International Airport last week, causing a spinal fracture to Khan. A case has been registered against Singh under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) for assaulting employees of SpiceJet airline following a disagreement over payment of extra baggage charges on July 26. Lt Col Singh has filed a counter-complaint with the police alleging assault, following which an FIR has also been registered against the airline staffers. The officer, who is currently posted at the Army's High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) at Gulmarg in Baramulla district, was to board a SpiceJet flight to Delhi when the incident took place. When asked about the incident, army officials said that full cooperation is being extended to the authorities. The army is committed to uphold the highest standards of discipline and conduct and takes all allegations seriously, public relations officer (defence), Srinagar, said in a statement.

The incident was caught on camera, and a video of the incident has surfaced on multiple social media platforms purportedly showing the enraged Army officer hitting several airline employees with an iron stand. The airline issued a detailed statement about the incident, saying one of the four victims of the assault had suffered spinal injuries. They also said it has initiated the process to place the passenger on the no-fly list in line with civil aviation regulations. "A passenger 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 SpiceJet said in a statement. According to the airline, an employee fell unconscious on the floor, but the passenger continued kicking and hitting him. "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 airline said the passenger, a senior army officer, was carrying two pieces of cabin baggage weighing a total of 16 kilograms, more than double the permitted limit of 7 kilograms. "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," the statement further said. The airline further informed that the passenger grew increasingly aggressive at the gate. It could not be immediately ascertained whether the passenger was detained at the airport after the incident. SpiceJet said it has also written to the civil aviation ministry, apprising them about the "murderous assault" on its staff and has requested appropriate action against the passenger. The airline also said that it has secured the CCTV footage of the incident from the airport authorities and handed it over to the police. Strongly condemning any act of violence against its employees, SpiceJet said it will pursue this matter to its fullest legal and regulatory conclusion. Army officials said the issue has come to the notice of the Indian Army and "we are awaiting the conclusion of the pending investigation".