Air India Express pilot suspended after airport altercation
An off-duty Air India Express pilot, Virender Sejwal, has been suspended for allegedly assaulting a SpiceJet passenger, Ankit Dewan, at Delhi's Terminal 1 on January 19.
The clash reportedly started when Dewan called out Sejwal and other staff for cutting the queue; things escalated with verbal abuse and a physical attack in front of Dewan's young daughter.
What happened next
Dewan, traveling with a baby in a stroller, says airport staff sent him to an infant security lane—which led to the run-in with Sejwal.
He claims Sejwal called him "unpadh" (uneducated) before hitting him hard enough to draw blood and upset his daughter.
Air India Express quickly condemned the pilot's behavior, pulled him from duty, and launched an investigation.
Dewan posted about the incident online and also raised concerns about delayed police action and pressure from airport staff to sign a no-further-action letter so he wouldn't miss his flight.