Name Error On Flight Ticket Sparks Bias Debate At Delhi Airport, CISF Responds

News18

4 days ago

The incident occurred at Terminal 3 when journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Ziya Us Salam arrived to board a flight from Delhi to Kochi
A name mismatch on a flight ticket has spiraled into a charged debate about bias and profiling at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, after two senior journalists were reportedly treated differently at the terminal gate.
The incident occurred at Terminal 3 when journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Ziya Us Salam arrived to board a flight from Delhi to Kochi, where they were scheduled to attend a book launch. Their tickets, booked through a travel agent, had one-letter spelling errors. Varadarajan's name appeared as 'Sidharth' instead of 'Siddharth', while Salam's was printed as 'Siya Us Salam' instead of 'Ziya Us Salam'.
According to Varadarajan, CISF personnel at the terminal flagged both errors. However, he was allowed inside, but Salam, despite presenting multiple ID proofs, including a press card, was denied entry. 'One's name was Siddharth Varadarajan, the other Ziya Us Salam, one was Hindu, one Muslim, both had beards but one's was fuller than the other's. Guess who got in to the airport and who didn't," Varadarajan wrote on social media, sharing images of the boarding passes.
His post, widely shared online, triggered backlash and reignited conversations around profiling at airports. Varadarajan also alleged that Air India staff refused to assist when approached at the counter.
The Central Industrial Security Force, which oversees security at airports, responsed to Varadarajan's post, asking him to share flight details, PNR, and other relevant information so that the matter could be investigated. 'Dear Mr Siddharth, Warm greetings from @CISFHQrs. Kindly share the flight details, PNR, contact number, and approximate time of the incident via DM so that we can look into the matter," CISF replied to him on X (formerly Twitter).
Dear Mr. Siddharth,Warm greetings from @CISFHQrs.Kindly share the flight details, PNR, contact number, and approximate time of the incident via DM so that we can look into the matter.
— CISF (@CISFHQrs) July 28, 2025
On Tuesday, the CISF offered a more detailed explanation of the events. According to the force, both passengers were scrutinised as per standard procedure. In Varadarajan's case, the spelling discrepancy involved a single missing 'D' (Sidharth) on the boarding pass versus 'Siddharth' on his ID. Because the pronunciation and structure of the name were largely intact, the mismatch was deemed minor, and he was allowed entry.
In contrast, CISF said, the error in Salam's case was more serious. His name was listed as 'Siya' on the boarding pass, while his ID showed 'Ziya'. The first letter being entirely different, the agency said, made the name unrecognisable and raised questions about identity. Therefore, as per protocol, the CISF staff on duty followed the SOP and denied entry, the statement read.
The CISF emphasised that the incident occurred over a month ago, and the matter was being 'distorted and presented under a biased perception". The claims made by the passenger were completely false and baseless, CISF said.
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