IndiGo passenger declared unruly for slapping man on Mumbai-Kolkata flight

In a disturbing incident aboard an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Kolkata, a passenger was de-boarded and officially declared "unruly" after he slapped a fellow traveller who appeared to be undergoing a panic attack mid-air.

The incident took place on Friday on flight 6E-138, which departed from Mumbai and landed at Kolkata later in the evening. According to eyewitness accounts and video footage that has surfaced, the man who was slapped appeared to be in visible distress as he suffered a panic attack during the journey.

Instead of offering help when the airline crew was attending to him, another passenger assaulted the distressed man. In the video, cabin crew can be seen intervening swiftly, asking the aggressor to stop and attempting to soothe the man who had just been hit. One co-passenger is also heard confronting the attacker, questioning his violent behaviour.

An airline official, speaking with The Tribune, confirmed the sequence of events. “After the flight landed at Kolkata airport, the passenger involved in slapping the man was de-boarded and declared unruly,” the official said.

The video has triggered outrage on social media, with many questioning how someone could resort to violence against a person clearly in a vulnerable mental state.

While IndiGo has not issued a detailed statement beyond the confirmation of disciplinary action, the airline is expected to submit a report on the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

Under Indian aviation rules, a passenger declared unruly can face temporary or even permanent ban from flying, depending on the severity of the misconduct.