Mumbai, January 16: The IndiGo passenger who slapped the pilot of a Delhi-Goa flight was on his way to honeymoon, a report said. As seen in the viral video, the passenger, identified as Sahil Kataria, ran up from his seat in the last row to slap co-pilot Anup Kumar as he announced a further delay.

The Hindustan Times reported that Kataria and his wife were on their way to Goa for the Honeymoon. Kataria, However, lost his temper and attacked a co-pilot who announced a delay due to fog and smog at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. The shocking incident happened on Sunday afternoon after the Katarias had waited for almost eight hours for their IndiGo flight to Goa. The flight was supposed to depart at 7.40 am, but poor visibility grounded over 400 flights till 10 am. IndiGo Pilot Assault Incident: Another Video Surfaces, Shows Passenger Apologising.

IndiGo Pilot Slapped:

When co-pilot Anup Kumar informed the passengers about the delay around 3 pm, Kataria stormed towards the cockpit and shouted, “Chalana hai to chala, nahi to mat chala, khol de” in Hindi. He then punched the pilot while a female crew member screamed and another passenger restrained him. A video of the assault went viral on social media. IndiGo Pilot Assault Incident: IndiGo Forms Internal Panel, Putting Passenger on ‘No-Fly List’ Under Consideration.

What IndiGo Said:

IndiGo said that Kataria was handed over to the police and declared unruly as per protocol. “This incident is being referred to the independent internal committee for appropriate action and inclusion of the customer on the ‘no-fly list’ as laid down in regulatory guidelines. The safety and security of our customers and crew are of paramount importance, and we maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards any such unacceptable behaviour," IndiGo said in a statement.

Unruly Behaviour Unacceptable: Scindia 

The flight finally took off at 6.30 pm. The DGCA, the aviation regulator, did not comment on the incident or whether Kataria was banned from flying. Kataria was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 323 (causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 290 (committing public nuisance), and sections of the Aircraft Rules. He was arrested on Monday and later got bail, the police said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 16, 2024 08:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).