Assam man missing after mid-air assault on Mumbai-Kolkata IndiGo flight, says family
His family members told HT on Friday evening that he was supposed to reach Silchar from Kolkata on a connecting flight, but he never arrived and hasn't contacted them since.
The missing passenger, identified as Hussain Ahmed Majumdar, hails from Lathimara village in Cachar. He was travelling from Mumbai to Silchar via Kolkata on IndiGo Flight 6E-2387 on Thursday, July 31.
According to his family, Hussain works in a hotel in Mumbai and has been living there for the past seven years.
'This was probably his fifth journey from Mumbai to Silchar, but what happened yesterday never happened before,' his father Abdul Mannan Majumdar said.
Abdul Mannan further said they saw a viral video of the assault and tried to contact Hussain, but his mobile was switched off.
'Before leaving Mumbai, he had called us from another number and informed us that he lost his phone there. He said he would buy a new one after reaching home,' Abdul added.
Unaware of the mid-air assault, Hussain's family reached Silchar's Kumbhirgram Airport on Friday morning to receive him according to his scheduled arrival at 8:15am. However, as passengers walked out of the arrival gate, Hussain wasn't there.
'We had no idea anything was wrong until a video surfaced early this morning showing him being slapped by a co-passenger. We rushed to the airport, expecting he would land, but he wasn't there. IndiGo and airport authorities didn't provide any concrete information about his whereabouts,' Hussain's relatives told media persons.
The family said they informed CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) officials but received no assistance.
'We tried to enter the airport premises but were not allowed. Later, we approached local police and lodged a missing complaint at Udharbond Police Station,' a family member said.
Joseph Keivom, Officer-in-Charge of Katigorah Police Station, said the family had informed Udharbond Police Station, which has jurisdiction over the Silchar Airport area.
'They reported that the person is not traceable, and we have passed on the information to the concerned authorities,' Keivom added.
The viral video circulating on social media shows a visibly distressed and disoriented Hussain being assaulted mid-flight by a fellow passenger after he allegedly suffered a panic attack. Despite repeated efforts by the cabin crew to de-escalate the situation, the altercation intensified, leading to confusion over whether Hussain was forcibly deboarded or voluntarily exited the boarding area.
Since the incident, Hussain has been missing.
'We saw the video but we don't know what actually happened after that. Everything will be clear once he returns home,' his family said.
Also Read:Passenger slapped on Mumbai-Kolkata flight, IndiGo responds to viral video
Meanwhile, IndiGo Airlines authorities issued a statement confirming that the accused co-passenger was detained by CISF at Kolkata Airport, and legal proceedings have been initiated.
'We are aware of an incident involving a physical altercation on board one of our flights. Our crew acted in accordance with established Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). The individual involved was identified as unruly and handed over to security authorities upon arrival. All appropriate regulatory agencies have been duly informed, in line with protocol,' IndiGo stated through a social media post.
However, the airline did not provide any details regarding Hussain Ahmed Majumdar's sudden disappearance.
The copy will be updated whenever a comment from the airline on the sudden disappearance of the passenger is received.
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