‘It happened just too fast… I don’t know when I landed on floor’: Ankit Dewan on alleged assault

NEW DELHI: Ankit Dewan, who alleged that he was assaulted by an Air India Express pilot at Terminal-1 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, said the incident occurred during security checks while he was travelling with his family.

While speaking , Dewan explained the chronology of the incident, saying, “We were travelling with our four-month-old baby in a stroller, and CISF personnel directed us towards a particular security check area. I later realised this is an old-style machine, and old-style machines have been while other-style machines have been upgraded. So this machine that could handle big luggage like a guitar and strollers, and this has also been used by the staff.”

Dewan said the security area already had a long queue, including staff members, and more people continued to join. “I was standing in the passengers’ queue. A group of people with guitars were also ahead. I had a lot of luggage, so I asked my wife to take the baby through the ladies’ gate while I managed four trays, three bags, and a stroller,” he said.

According to Dewan, tensions escalated when he objected to staff members allegedly jumping the queue. “I saw one staff member instigating another to pick up all their trays and place them ahead. I objected and asked them to stand in the queue like everyone else,” he said.

He alleged that a man later identified as Virender Sejwal made derogatory remarks. “He said things like, ‘yeh kaha se aa jate hain.’ When I told him CISF had directed me there and that I had a four-month-old baby, he replied, ‘anpadh ho kya, tumhe dikhayi nahi deta, wahan likha hai, it’s a staff entry,'” Dewan said.

Dewan claimed the verbal argument quickly turned aggressive. “He said ‘yahin maar dunga’ and ‘bahar mil tu.’ I was also shouting back. He then jumped the queue, put his bag through the X-ray, and went straight for frisking,” he said.

The alleged assault occurred moments later, Dewan claimed. “While he was being frisked, he kept shouting at me and told the CISF personnel, ‘main isko peet ke aata hoon.’ My wife heard this from the other side. He then came back, and instead of talking, he immediately started hitting me.

Everything happened very fast. I don’t remember how I fell to the floor; the next thing I remember was holding on to his sweater,” he said.

Dewan reiterated that he used the staff or PRM entry only because the stroller needed to be scanned through the larger X-ray machine. “That was the only reason I was there,” he added.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police have said that no formal complaint has been received so far in connection with a social media post alleging physical assault by an Air India Express pilot at Terminal-1 of the airport. The matter came to the notice of the police only after the allegation was shared on platform X by Ankit Dewan.

In an official clarification, police stated that neither the complainant nor the airline has reported the incident to the police station. Authorities said that appropriate legal action will be taken if a written complaint is submitted by the victim.

“With reference to a social media post posted on platform X by an Ankit Dewan, alleging physical assault by an Air India Express pilot at Terminal-1 of the airport- No such matter has been reported to the police station either by Ankit Dewan or by the airlines. The matter has come to the knowledge of the police through this social media post. Whenever a written complaint is received by the victim, in this regard, appropriate legal action will be taken,” said Delhi Police. (ANI)