An off-duty Air India Express pilot has been arrested and subsequently released on bail in connection with an alleged physical altercation with a passenger at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The incident, which has sparked significant attention, occurred at Terminal 1 on December 19, 2025.
Pilot Taken Into Custody Following Investigation
Delhi Police confirmed the arrest of Captain Virendra Sejwal on Tuesday, December 31. The arrest followed a thorough process where authorities collected relevant CCTV footage from the scene and recorded statements from involved parties. After being called in for questioning, Sejwal's arrest was formally effected at the IGI police station.
He was booked under specific sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which replaced the Indian Penal Code. The charges pressed against him include Section 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), Section 126 (wrongful restraint), and Section 351 (criminal intimidation).
Details of the Terminal 1 Altercation
The case originates from a formal complaint filed by a passenger named Ankit Dewan. According to Dewan's account, the dispute began at a security checkpoint when he objected to Sejwal, who was off-duty and travelling as a passenger on an IndiGo flight, allegedly trying to skip the queue.
Dewan alleged that the situation escalated, leading Sejwal to verbally abuse and physically assault him in a public area of the terminal. The complainant stated that the incident was witnessed by his seven-year-old daughter, who was left traumatized. Dewan later underwent medical examination, and a CT scan confirmed a displaced fracture of his left nasal bone.
Legal Proceedings and Grant of Bail
Following his arrest, Captain Virendra Sejwal was granted bail from the police station itself. A police officer explained the legal rationale behind this, stating, "In bailable offences, the accused has a right to get bail from the police station itself." This indicates that the charges pressed, while serious, are classified as bailable under the current legal framework.
The incident highlights tensions that can arise in high-stress environments like airport security lines and brings focus on the conduct of individuals, especially those associated with aviation, even when off-duty. The police investigation into the matter is considered complete following the arrest and bail procedures.
