Indigo sacks employee for manhandling passenger, Govt. also seeks report

New Delhi: After a video showing Indigo passenger Rajiv Katiyal being manhandled by the airline's staff went viral, the airlines have now sacked the ground staff and have issued an apology for the same. Regarding the same incident, the government also asked for a detailed report from the budget carrier IndiGo. On its part, IndiGo airline's President and Whole Time Director Aditya Ghosh said: "I acknowledge the unpleasant experience our passenger went through while engaging with our staff at Delhi airport. My personal apology as this does not reflect our culture."

We truly apologise to Mr. Rajiv Katiyal for this incident & assure him that the employee has been terminated. pic.twitter.com/9xZcSftgit

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) November 7, 2017

"I had personally spoken to the passenger and asked for an apology... Under the code of conduct violation, this incident was investigated and stern action was taken against the staff." Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha on Tuesday also said tweeted that the Oct 15 is deplorable and unfortunate and passenger safety and security is our top-most priority. He also tweeted - 

MoCA has already asked for a detailed report from Indigo by tomorrow. Indigo has issued a news release stating that the culprit 2/n — Jayant Sinha (@jayantsinha) November 7, 2017

 

has been terminated. Indigo senior executives have personally apologised to the passenger. We hope that the passenger will file 3/n

— Jayant Sinha (@jayantsinha) November 7, 2017

a criminal complaint. This will enable us to take appropriate action. I will meet Shri Kalra to address his concerns. 4/n — Jayant Sinha (@jayantsinha) November 7, 2017

The incident took place on October 15, when Katiyal who arrived from Chennai, was waiting for the bus inside the airport when the incident happened. It is not clear exactly who started the verbal altercation. Slamming the airlines for terminating its employee -- Montu Kalra -- who shot the video and turned a whistleblower in the manhandling case, former Air India Chief and Railway Board Chairman, Ashwani Lohani said: "The subsequent action of the airline in sacking the whistleblower is the icing on the cake of gross misconduct. It is apparent that such an act is borne only out of the false sense of pride that the company has started displaying since their market share has started knocking on 50 percent."