'Srinagar airport assault': Jammu Kashmir Police register two FIRs against army trooper

August 4, 2025 by News Desk

Police in Jammu Kashmir have registered two FIRs after a senior Army officer allegedly assaulted multiple SpiceJet employees at Srinagar Airport last week, seriously injuring four. One staff member reportedly suffered a spinal fracture in what the airline has described as a “murderous assault” triggered by a dispute over excess cabin baggage.

The incident occurred on July 26 near Boarding Gate No. 2, just before the scheduled 6:10 pm departure of SpiceJet flight SG-386 to Delhi. The officer, identified as Lieutenant Colonel Ritesh Kumar Singh of the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) in Gulmarg, was assigned seat 24D on the flight.

According to the airline, Singh attempted to board the plane with 16 kg of cabin luggage, more than twice the permissible 7 kg limit, and refused to pay the excess baggage fee. He allegedly tried to bypass boarding procedures and was escorted back to the gate by CISF personnel.

“At the gate, the passenger turned violent,” a SpiceJet spokesperson said in a statement. “He punched and kicked four of our ground staff, using a queue stand as a weapon. One employee lost consciousness and was repeatedly kicked. Another sustained a fractured jaw and facial injuries. One of the victims has suffered a spinal fracture.”

Footage from airport CCTV cameras, now circulating widely online, shows Singh assaulting a staffer with a queue stand. The video and a formal complaint have been handed over to the police.

Police in Budgam district have registered two separate FIRs , one based on the airline’s complaint, charging the officer under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for voluntarily causing hurt, assault, and criminal intimidation; and another based on a counter-complaint filed by Singh, accusing the staff of using force as an unlawful assembly.

When contacted by reporters, Lt Col Singh claimed provocation: “It was a grave provocation and harassment by the airline which led to the incident. They harassed me and provoked me. That is all,” he told The Indian Express.

SpiceJet has written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation urging strict action and has initiated the process to place Singh on the national no-fly list. “SpiceJet strongly condemns any act of violence against its employees and will pursue this matter to its fullest legal and regulatory conclusion,” the airline said.

The Indian Army has said it is cooperating fully with the investigation. “The Indian Army is committed to upholding the highest standards of discipline and conduct. Full cooperation is being extended to the authorities,” said a Defence spokesperson based in Srinagar.