"Had Concussion": Flier Clarifies Pilot Assault Account With CCTV Footage

The SpiceJet passenger, Ankit Dewan, who was physically assaulted by an Air India Express pilot at the Delhi airport after an argument over jumping the queue, has now viewed CCTV footage of the incident that has made the chain of events clearer for him.

Captain Virender Sejwal "started the assault" and was "maniacal" while doing it, Dewan wrote as he shared his findings and realisations of the assault based on the CCTV clip on social media. The incident happened on December 19 at the Delhi Airport's Terminal 1 during a security check.

Dewan said that he was repeatedly hit by the pilot and dragged across the floor, but he does not remember as he "probably had a concussion after the first blow to the head."

Medical investigation has revealed a fracture in the left nasal bone, he said.

The flier added that the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were "quick to action" and tried to disengage the pilot.

"There were four to five CISF personnel there, unlike how I remembered. In fact, Sejwal (the accused pilot) was wanting to hit me two times before but was held back by CISF and onlookers. CISF was constantly calling for restraint. And when he finally started the assault, at least three CISF personnel quickly began trying to disengage him. One of them actually jumped over a table to immediately come to my aid. My heartfelt gratitude to all of them," Dewan wrote on X.

Air India Express removed the pilot from official duties and ordered an inquiry before disciplinary action could be initiated soon after the assault allegations surfaced. The airlines added that the employee was travelling as a passenger on another airline and that he had an altercation with a passenger.

Also Read | Pilot Body Urges "Calm, Restraint, Dignity" After Alleged Assault In Delhi

Rejecting 'off-duty' claims, Dewan said he saw stripes on the pilot's shirt when he adjusted the sweater. "This talk of 'off-duty, passenger to passenger' cannot fly in the face of the facts. Even on the day of the incident, Sejwal and senior AIX officials told me, and the multiple agencies present there that he was to fly from Bangalore. 

Deadheading (crew positioning) counts as flight duty," the flier said, alleging the airlines of shrinking responsibility.

Yesterday the Police showed me the CCTV footage of the physical assault that happened with me on 19th Dec, 2025 at Terminal 1 of IGI Airport.

Here are some new things that I realised, looking at the footage:
🔸 I probably had a concussion after the first blow in my head, because… pic.twitter.com/95e0wt7LHf

— Ankit Dewan (@ankitdewan) December 24, 2025

What Triggered An Assault

On December 19, Dewan and his family were guided to use the security check-in line that the staff uses since they were travelling with a four-month-old baby in a stroller.

"The staff was cutting the queue ahead of me. On calling them out, Capt. Virender, who himself was doing the same thing, asked me if I was anpadh (uneducated), and couldn't read the signs that said this entry was for staff," Dewan said, adding a verbal altercation followed, which soon turned physical.

In an interview with NDTV, Dewan claimed that his wife overheard the pilot telling a security personnel that he would hit him (Dewan) right before the assault, but no action was taken to stop it from happening.

Dewan's seven-year-old daughter, who witnessed the assault, was "traumatised and scared."

Also Read | Exclusive: Thrashed By Pilot, Left Bloodied, Flier Recounts Airport Episode

"False Narrative": Pilot Responds

In a statement issued on behalf of Captain Sejwal, Dewan has been accused of presenting selective facts and creating a false narrative.
"Casteist remarks were made against Capt Sejwal, and absolutely unfathomable threats were made to female members of his family, including a child," the statement read.

Air India Express has issued a show cause notice to the pilot, sources have told NDTV.