MANHANDLING: INQUIRY REPORT INDICTS INDIGO

NEW DELHI: An inquiry report has criticised budget carrier IndiGo for not reporting in time and “voluntarily” the manhandling of a passenger by its staff to the aviation security regulator and the CISF, tasked with securing airports.

The October 15 scuffle at the Delhi airport was a security issue and was potentially dangerous to aviation security, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has said in its report. The report, seen by Hindustan Times, was submitted to the civil aviation ministry ,which had ordered two inquiries into the incident.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s report was awaited, a ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday. IndiGo refused comment. The inquiry officer describes as an afterthought and a damagecontrol exercise the airline’s decision to suspend two ground staff. It acted after the media highlighted the incident, says the report. It recommends a standard operating procedure for staff to handle such a situation, adding a warning be given to the airline’s chief security officer and director of security to set an example.

It also concludes that the altercation started when the passenger, Rajiv Katiyal, moved towards the apron area barred to passengers. The report blames employees for starting the fracas but it also says Katiyal was responsible for negligence and “not acting in civilised manner”.

The inquiry officer spoke to the ground staff, several IndiGo officials and Katyal. Montu Kalra, who made the video, was sacked as he was a cargo staff and should not have been there. He also instigated the passenger, the report quotes the airlines as saying.

IndiGo chief security officer Sanjay Chopra said the matter was reported to police but the staff and Katiyal decided not to press charges. Katiyal said he was forced into compromise and also denied using abusive language, saying the employee was “consumer unfriendly”, the report says.