Air India Express Pilot Detained Days After 'Assaulting' Passenger At Delhi Airport

Air India Express pilot Virender Sejwal was arrested and released on bail over a passenger’s assault complaint linked to a December 19 incident at IGIA.

After completing the questioning, Delhi Police confirmed that Sejwal was formally arrested in connection with a complaint filed by passenger Ankit Dewan.

Source : X

More than a week after an alleged confrontation at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), an Air India Express pilot has been arrested and released on bail in connection with a passenger’s complaint. Delhi Police on Monday confirmed that pilot Virender Sejwal was taken into custody for questioning and later formally arrested in the case before being released, as the charges invoked are bailable.

The incident, which reportedly occurred on December 19 at Terminal 1 of the airport, has drawn attention to passenger safety and conduct within one of the country’s busiest aviation hubs.

Air India Pilot Detained After Extended Inquiry

According to police officials, Sejwal was detained on Monday evening and questioned for several hours as part of the ongoing investigation, as per ANI. Authorities said the questioning followed earlier summons issued to the pilot, as investigators sought clarity on the sequence of events leading up to the alleged altercation.

After completing the questioning, Delhi Police confirmed that Sejwal was formally arrested in connection with a complaint filed by passenger Ankit Dewan. Since the offence is bailable in nature, he was subsequently released in accordance with legal procedure. Police emphasised that the arrest was made after reviewing preliminary evidence collected during the probe.

Investigators have stated that they examined closed-circuit television footage from Terminal 1 to corroborate the claims made in the complaint. Alongside the video evidence, statements from witnesses present at the airport around the time of the incident were also recorded.

The Attack On Passenger At Delhi Airport

The case centres on allegations made by Dewan, who claimed that the pilot physically assaulted him at Terminal 1 of IGIA. Police said Sejwal was off duty and travelling as a passenger at the time of the alleged incident. The reported altercation is said to have taken place near the security area, a high-traffic zone within the terminal. Officials noted that the matter came to light following Dewan’s formal complaint, prompting the police to initiate an inquiry.

In a detailed post on X, Dewan alleged the pilot abused him, triggered a scuffle causing injuries and traumatised his family. He further claimed airport officials pressured him into signing a letter agreeing not to pursue the matter, warning he would otherwise miss his flight and lose Rs 1.2 lakh in holiday bookings. Dewan questioned airport management, airline oversight, and police response.