A shocking incident took place aboard an IndiGo flight as a viral video showed a man slapping a co-passenger who was suffering from an alleged panic attack, find out more below
The incident unsurprisingly triggered a massive wave of outrage online, drawing fierce backlash from netizens.
An IndiGo passenger slapped a fellow Muslim passenger suffering a panic attack, who was on the aircraft aisle, onboard a flight from Mumbai to Kolkata on Friday.
Man slaps Muslim passenger having panic attack on Mumbai-Kolkata IndiGo Airlines flight, video goes viral
The incident happened in the flight 6E138 and after landing, the perpetrator was handed over to the security team at the Kolkata airport but it is not known yet if the incident happened midair or while the flight was preparing for take off. The identities of both the passengers hasn’t been revealed either.
The flight was operated with the Airbus A321 aircraft.
Watch this viral video of a man slapping co-passenger while having ‘Panic Attack’ on IndiGo flight, reactions from netizens, and more
A person gets panic attack after boarding flight, another person sl@ps him without any reason
H@te has consumed people. Indigo must take legal action against that person
— 🐧 (@DrJain21) August 1, 2025
A Muslim man was slapped by a passenger on an Indigo flight. In a video, cabin crew are seen asking the passenger to stop and not hurt the man. Another passenger questions why he hit him, while the injured man appears to be having a pain attack as crew try to calm the situation. pic.twitter.com/00JYwfIoYE
— The Observer Post (@TheObserverPost) August 1, 2025
The altercation reportedly occurred mid-flight, as cabin crew and passengers tried to manage the situation, and many have since called for strict legal action against the assailant.
Viral video of man slapping IndiGo flight co-passenger
A viral video of a man slapping an IndiGo flight co-passenger quickly spread across social media, particularly on X. The video captured a man in a white shirt striking another passenger mid-flight, who seemingly appeared to be having a panic attack. The victim was being assisted by cabin crew when the assailant suddenly slapped him on the face. Unsurprisingly, the act of aggression shocked all the nearby passengers and crew, who caught the entire incident on camera.
ऐसे कब तक मार खाते रहेंगे आप?
IndiGo फ्लाइट की यह घटना अत्यंत शर्मनाक है। यदि इस तरह की मानसिकता पर समय रहते कार्रवाई नहीं हुई, तो यह समाज के लिए गंभीर खतरा बन सकती है। पूरे देश में इस्लामोफोबिया की बढ़ती प्रवृत्ति चिंता का विषय है। pic.twitter.com/xkvYiS5mdU
— Pooja Mathur (@PoojaMathur01) August 1, 2025
Upon confrontation, the attacker defended his behavior in Hindi, saying:
Uski wajah se pareshan ho rahe hain hum log” (We are suffering because of him).
The Crew members quickly stepped in and urged him not to raise his hand again, while a fellow passenger filmed the whole scene, responding:
We all have problems, but you should not have raised your hand.”
The video eventually ends with the cabin crew escorting the aggressor toward the aircraft’s exit. As of now, the exact timing and location of the flight remain unknown.
IndiGo, in a statement, said, ” We are aware of an incident involving a physical altercation on board one of our flights. Such unruly behaviour is completely unacceptable, and we strongly condemn any actions that compromise the safety and dignity of our passengers and crew.”
The offender was handed over to the authorities and de-boarded along with being declared unruly.
Reactions from netizens
Following the incident, the internet has sparked all kinds of reactions. Senior Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde wrote:
What action did the airline take against the offending passenger? Why was he not deboarded and put on a no-fly list?”
One netizen commented:
This hateful bigot who slapped a fellow passenger should be booked under relevant laws and legal action must follow. He must be barred from flying, at least on IndiGo.”
Another user commented:
This is too much. Action must be taken against the passenger who hit the bearded young man just because of his identity.”