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A senior Army officer has been booked for assaulting four SpiceJet employees at Srinagar airport over a dispute regarding excess cabin baggage. The attack left two staffers with grievous injuries, one suffered a spinal fracture and a broken jaw.
The incident took place on July 26, 2025, at Boarding Gate No. 2, minutes before the departure of SpiceJet flight SG-386 to Delhi, and was captured on CCTV and mobile videos of the incident have since gone viral.
The accused has been identified as Lieutenant Colonel Ritesh Kumar Singh, posted at the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) in Gulmarg.
According to the airline, Singh attempted to board the flight carrying 16 kg of cabin luggage, more than double the permitted 7 kg limit. When informed that he would need to pay excess baggage charges, he refused and forcefully entered the aerobridge without completing the boarding process, violating aviation security protocols. CISF personnel escorted him back to the gate, where the altercation turned violent.
SpiceJet, in a statement, described the incident as a “murderous assault.”
The airline said, “A passenger grievously assaulted four SpiceJet employees at the boarding gate of flight SG-386 from Srinagar to Delhi on July 26. Our staff members suffered a spinal fracture and serious jaw injuries after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks, and a queue stand. One staff member collapsed unconscious on the floor but the passenger continued kicking and hitting the fainted employee. Another suffered bleeding from the nose and mouth after a forceful kick to the jaw while bending down to assist the colleague who had fainted.”
All four injured employees were taken to hospital, where two remain under treatment for serious injuries.
SpiceJet has lodged a complaint and handed over CCTV footage to the local police. An FIR under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 131 (punishment for assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at Budgam Police Station against Lt Col Singh.
The airline has also initiated the process to place the officer on the civil aviation no-fly list and has written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation seeking strict action. “SpiceJet strongly condemns any act of violence against its employees and will pursue this matter to its fullest legal and regulatory conclusion,” the airline said.
The Indian Army has issued a statement acknowledging the incident and assuring full cooperation with the investigation. “The matter involving an alleged altercation between an Army personnel and airline staff at Srinagar Airport on 26 July has come to the notice of the Indian Army. The Army is committed to upholding the highest standards of discipline and conduct and takes all allegations seriously. Full cooperation is being extended to the authorities in investigating the case,” the statement said.