Indigo Trainee Pilot Alleges Casteist Abuse By Seniors: 'Not Fit To Fly Aircraft, Go Back Stitch Slippers'

A trainee pilot at IndiGo has accused three senior officials of making casteist remarks at work, claiming they told him he was "not fit to fly a plane" and should "stitch shoes" instead.

The 35-year-old, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste, has lodged a police complaint, resulting in an FIR being registered against IndiGo officials Tapas Dey, Manish Sahni, and Captain Rahul Patil under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Photo Credit: PTI

IndiGo has dismissed the allegations as "baseless".

The complainant initially approached the police in Bengaluru, where a zero FIR - one that can be filed at any police station regardless of where the alleged incident occurred - was registered. The case has since been transferred to Gurugram, the location of IndiGo's headquarters.

IndiGo, in response, has strongly denied the claims.

"IndiGo upholds a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of discrimination, harassment, or bias and remains firmly committed to being an inclusive and respectful workplace. IndiGo strongly refutes these baseless claims and stands by its values of fairness, integrity, and accountability and will extend its support to the law enforcement agencies as required," said a spokesperson for the airline.

In his complaint, the trainee pilot cited a meeting held on 28 April at IndiGo's Gurugram office. He alleged that during the 30-minute discussion, he was told, "You are not fit to fly an aircraft, go back and stitch slippers. You are not even worthy of being a watchman here."

The pilot claimed the harassment was part of a sustained effort to coerce him into resigning. He alleged the derogatory remarks targeted his identity as a Scheduled Caste individual.

He also stated that he faced "professional victimisation" in the form of unjustified salary deductions, compulsory retraining sessions, and unwarranted warning letters. Despite raising his concerns with senior management and IndiGo's ethics panel, no action was taken, prompting him to ultimately approach the police.