'Casteist Slurs, Threat To Family': Air India Express Pilot Responds To Assault Allegation

New Delhi: A day after a Spicejet passenger Ankit Dewan accused Air India Express pilot Virender Sejwal of assaulting him at Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport Terminal 1 following a dispute over ‘jumping’ a security queue has issued a statement where the pilot denied the key allegations and termed the incident a “purely personal matter”.

The Captains' lawyer stated that the reports had wrongly portrayed the conflict as a “pilot versus passenger” dispute which was misleading. According to the statement, the pilot was travelling as a passenger at the time and and he did not represent his profession in any way.

‘Misrepresentation Of Facts’

Furthermore, online outrage over the incident is based on a “one-sided and incomplete misrepresentation of facts”, said the statement.

It is also alleged that the passenger, Ankit Dewan, presented the details selectively in order to build a false narrative, while ignoring alleged casteist remarks and serious threats made against Sejwal and his family, including a child during the clash, as per reports. Air India Express will hold an inquiry into the matter next week.

Argument Turned Physical

Reportedly, the duo- Sejwal and Dewan- landed in an argument when passenger Dewan claimed that the captain assaulted him at Delhi airport TerminaL 1. Dewan added that the airport staff asked him to use a staff security queue because the baby was in a stroller.

Dewan, in a post on X, stated that Sejwal insulted him, and even called him 'anpadh' when he objected to staff “cutting the queue” following which the argument between the duo turned physical. He added that the pilot thrashed him and left him bleeding, and even claimed that the blood on Sejwal's shirt belonged to him.

However, the Captain's statement countered this version, where he alleged that Dewan began the confrontation by verbally abusing him without provocation and continued using abusive and threatening language despite repeated warnings.

Following the scuffle, the CISF team intervened promptly. Both passengers willingly signed a paper stating that they did not want to file any lawsuit. The CISF, it added, has publicly stated that both individuals were offered the option to lodge formal complaints, which they declined.

Criticisising attempts to link Air India Express to the incident, Sejwal's lawyer in a statement said the pilot has full faith in the authorities to examine the matter impartially and urged the public and media to rely on verified facts.

Also Read: 'Are You Anpadh?': Passenger Claims Pilot Assaulted Him After Heated Argument Over 'Cutting Queue', Airline Takes Action