Passenger beaten by off-duty Air India Express pilot suffers nasal fracture, seeks justice
New Delhi (PTI) A passenger allegedly assaulted by an off-duty Air India Express pilot at the Delhi airport has said a CT scan confirmed a displacement of his left nasal bone.
The complainant, Ankit Dewan, said he is now seeking justice in the matter.
Dewan said he has submitted a written complaint to the Delhi Police and learned through media reports that an FIR has been filed.
"I am right now focusing on my health, and a CT scan today showed a displaced fracture of left nasal bone. I hope I get justice in the matter," Dewan told PTI.
The Delhi Police on Monday said based on Dewan's complaint received via email, a case has been registered under sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 126 (wrongful restraint) and 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. An investigation is underway, they said.
Earlier, the police had said they had not received a formal complaint and only became aware of the incident after Dewan's post surfaced on social media platform X.
Dewan alleged that he was physically assaulted by Air India Express captain Virender Sejwal near the security area of Terminal 1 of the airport on December 19. He claimed the assault caused him to bleed and traumatised his seven-year-old daughter, who witnessed the encounter.
According to Dewan, the altercation began when he objected to certain staff members allegedly cutting the queue at the security checkpoint. He alleged that the pilot verbally abused him before the physical attack.
Air India Express issued a statement, saying it is aware of the incident involving an employee who was travelling as a passenger on another airline at the time. The airline has removed the pilot from official duties with immediate effect, pending an internal investigation.
Police officials said they will examine the matter based on the complaint and available evidence, including CCTV footage from the terminal.
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ISRO successfully conducts second integrated air drop test for Gaganyaan mission
New Delhi (PTI): Space agency ISRO has successfully conducted the second integrated air drop test (IADT-02) for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission at the space station in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota.
The system is essential to ensure a safe recovery of the crew module -- the capsule in which astronauts sit during a human flight -- during re-entry and landing.
Union minister Jitendra Singh congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for successfully conducting the test.
"Congratulations #ISRO for the successful accomplishment of Second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for #Gaganyaan, India's first Human Space flight scheduled next year. The second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) was successfully conducted at Satish Dhawan Space Station Sriharikota," Singh said in a post on X.
The IADT-02 follows the successful completion of the first IADT, which took place on August 24, 2025, at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Air drop tests recreate the last leg of a spacecraft's return to Earth. An aircraft or helicopter drops the spacecraft from a height to test various systems under different scenarios.
These are the deployment of the parachute system in case the mission is aborted mid-flight, system performance when one parachute fails to open and the spacecraft's orientation and safety during splashdown etc.
In the IADT-02 test, a simulated crew module, weighing about 5.7 tonnes, was lifted by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter to an altitude of about three kilometres and released over a designated drop zone in the sea, near the Sriharikota coast.
In a statement, the ISRO said, "Ten parachutes of four types were deployed in a precise sequence during the descent of the crew module, gradually reducing the velocity for safe touchdown. Subsequently, the simulated crew module was successfully recovered in coordination with the Indian Navy."
