A Muslim passenger, who went missing after being slapped during a mid-air incident on an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Kolkata, has been located at Barpeta railway station in Assam, police confirmed on Saturday. Hussain Ahmed Majumdar (32), a hotel worker from Assam’s Cachar district, had been the subject of a search after he missed his connecting flight and could not be reached by his family.
The In-flight Incident: The incident occurred on Thursday aboard flight 6E-6152. Majumdar, who was reportedly experiencing a panic attack, was being escorted by flight attendants when another passenger, identified as Hafeez-ur-Rehman, slapped him. A video of the altercation went viral on social media, showing Rehman striking Majumdar and claiming he was “disturbing” other passengers.
Aftermath and Discovery: Following the aircraft’s landing in Kolkata, Rehman was briefly detained by the police but was later released. IndiGo has since banned Rehman from all its flights, citing passenger safety. Meanwhile, Majumdar, who was scheduled to fly to Silchar, unexpectedly left the airport. His family filed a police report after failing to contact him. His whereabouts remained unknown until authorities in Assam were alerted to a distressed man matching his description at Barpeta railway station. Police confirmed it was Majumdar, who appeared disoriented and fatigued but was physically unharmed.
Concerns and Investigation: Majumdar is now being taken back to his home in Cachar by local authorities, where he is expected to undergo medical and psychological evaluation. The incident has raised concerns about passenger conduct on domestic flights and prompted questions about the mental health protocols airlines follow during emergencies. Civil society groups have called for a thorough inquiry into how the situation was handled by both the airline and fellow passengers.
