IndiGo, which is under fire over its refusal to allow a specially-abled child to board its flight in Ranchi, has clarified that the decision was taken in view of passenger safety as the kid was in a state of panic. However, this has done little to calm frayed tempers, with Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia warning that he is investigating the matter himself.
Incidents of misbehaviour by airline or security staff against flyers have always grabbed headlines in India. Only in March, Air India was accused of stopping a disabled passenger from boarding a Bengaluru-Kolkata flight. Kaushik Majumdar, who works at the Indian Statistical Institute in Bengaluru, was reportedly asked by the pilot to disconnect the batteries of his electric wheelchair, which he said was impossible.
Majumdar alleged this was the second occasion Air India staff misbehaved with him – the first time being in December 2017 when the airline’s ground staff barred him from boarding a flight to Kolkata.
Also read: Delhi Airport: Woman faints after boarding denied, Air India says 'came late'
In October 2021, actor and dancer Sudha Chandran was reportedly asked by CISF personnel to remove her prosthetic limb during security check. Taking to social media, Chandran narrated her ordeal and also tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The CISF issued an apology to her after the video went viral.
Entrepreneur Antara Telang in 2016 and media professional Suranjana Ghosh in 2013 faced similar experiences at Mumbai airport when CISF personnel asked them to remove their prosthetic limbs.
In 2019, a woman had alleged that her 13-year-old son, who suffers from autism and has Down Syndrome, was forced to lie on the floor after he fell sick and was denied a wheelchair by the Air India staff at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The woman took to social media and posted pictures of her son lying on the floor.
Again, in July 2016, a couple had alleged that their 14-year-old autistic daughter was denied priority boarding by SpiceJet at Mumbai airport.
In 2006, Tamil actor Prithviraj’s autistic son was also prevented from boarding a flight at Bengaluru by CISF personnel who allegedly said he could harm other passengers. Video footage of the incident, filmed by Prithviraj, showed the security men telling him that his son Ahed could not board the flight to Chennai as he was “mentally unstable”.
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