A senior Army officer’s refusal to pay excess baggage charges for 16 kg of cabin luggage—more than double the permitted 7 kg limit—escalated into a violent assault on four SpiceJet employees at Srinagar Airport on July 26. The confrontation left one staffer with a spinal fracture, another with a broken jaw, and two others with serious injuries.
According to SpiceJet, the officer attempted to board a Delhi‐bound flight without settling the additional baggage fees. When ground personnel politely informed him of the policy and asked for payment, he forcefully entered the aerobridge in violation of security protocols. A CISF official escorted him back to the gate, but the officer then turned aggressive, wielding a check‐in information board and physically attacking the staff.
Disturbing footage shows the officer repeatedly striking employees and kicking a colleague who had collapsed unconscious. One victim sustained repeated kicks to the spine, resulting in a fracture, while another suffered severe jaw injuries and bleeding after being struck. The injured were rushed to hospital, where they remain under treatment.
SpiceJet has filed a police complaint, requested that the officer be placed on a no‐fly list, and written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation seeking regulatory action. “We strongly condemn any act of violence against our employees and will pursue full legal and regulatory recourse,” the airline stated.
The CISF confirmed its personnel intervened swiftly to restore order and keep flight operations running. Army sources say senior leadership is monitoring the investigation closely and will cooperate fully.
