IndiGo flight assault in Jabalpur: MP Vivek Tankha questions police inaction
Synopsis
A Rajya Sabha MP's X posts have turned a reported in-flight assault in Jabalpur into a national controversy — not just because of what allegedly happened aboard the IndiGo aircraft, but because of what the police allegedly did next: kept the victim and a three-year-old child at a police station for four hours while the accused walked free.
Key Takeaways
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha alleged on 26 June that a senior Supreme Court advocate was assaulted aboard an IndiGo flight before landing in Jabalpur .
The advocate was reportedly carrying a three-year-old child when he was allegedly manhandled by a co-passenger during disembarkation.
Tankha alleged the accused was neither detained at the airport nor stopped from leaving the premises.
The victim and the child were allegedly held at Khamaria police station for nearly four hours .
Neither Jabalpur police nor IndiGo had issued an official response as of the time of reporting.
Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha on Friday, 26 June alleged that a senior Supreme Court advocate was assaulted and threatened by a co-passenger aboard an IndiGo flight shortly before it landed in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Tankha further alleged that the Jabalpur police failed to detain the accused and instead kept the victim — who was accompanied by a three-year-old child — at Khamaria police station for nearly four hours.
What Allegedly Happened Aboard the Flight
According to Tankha, the incident unfolded while passengers were disembarking from the aircraft. The senior advocate, whose identity has not been disclosed, was reportedly carrying the young child in his lap when he was allegedly manhandled by another passenger. Tankha described the episode as occurring in full public view, making the alleged assailant's unimpeded exit from both the aircraft and the airport all the more alarming, he said.
Tankha's Charges Against Airport and Local Police
In a series of posts on social media platform X, Tankha directly tagged the Director General of Police, Madhya Pradesh, as well as IndiGo and the Madhya Pradesh Police. 'The question is, when a decent passenger with a child was brutally assaulted by a hooligan while disembarking, why wasn't that person detained? Sir, this is no policing. Then why are there police at the airport, only to check bona fide passengers?' he wrote. In a separate post, he questioned: 'Why was the ‘goon’ allowed to leave the aircraft and the airport in Jabalpur today, despite manhandling a gentleman passenger with a three-year-old child in full view? Is the airport police merely checking bona fide travellers? Goons allowed to walk past.'
Police and IndiGo Yet to Respond
As of the time of reporting, neither the Jabalpur police nor IndiGo had issued any official statement addressing Tankha's allegations. The identity of the senior Supreme Court advocate allegedly involved in the incident also remains undisclosed. The absence of any official response has drawn further criticism, with Tankha terming the alleged treatment of the advocate 'shameful' and questioning the government's attitude toward passengers and visitors.
Broader Questions on Airport Security
The incident, as alleged, raises pointed questions about the effectiveness of airport security protocols at Jabalpur's Dumna Airport. Critics argue that allowing an alleged aggressor to walk freely off an aircraft and out of a secured airport premises — while the complainant is held at a police station for hours — reflects a systemic failure in how such in-flight disputes are handled. This comes amid wider national scrutiny of passenger safety aboard domestic carriers and the conduct of police at regional airports. Notably, Tankha's intervention has amplified the matter well beyond a local dispute, placing it squarely in the political arena.
With no official response yet from the police or the airline, the matter is likely to draw further attention in the coming days.
Point of View
And the silence from both is conspicuous. Airport security at smaller Indian cities has long operated with limited accountability; this allegation, if verified, would be a case study in exactly that gap. The fact that the advocate's identity remains undisclosed also limits independent verification — something that will matter if this escalates legally or politically.
NationPress
26 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Vivek Tankha allege about the IndiGo flight incident in Jabalpur?
Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha alleged that a senior Supreme Court advocate was assaulted by a co-passenger while disembarking from an IndiGo flight in Jabalpur on 26 June. He claimed the accused was allowed to leave the airport freely while the victim and a three-year-old child were held at Khamaria police station for nearly four hours.
Has IndiGo or Jabalpur police responded to the allegations?
As of the time of reporting, neither IndiGo nor the Jabalpur police had issued an official statement on the allegations made by Vivek Tankha. The absence of a response has drawn further criticism from the Congress MP.
Who is the Supreme Court advocate allegedly assaulted on the IndiGo flight?
The identity of the senior Supreme Court advocate allegedly assaulted during the incident has not been disclosed as of the time of reporting. Vivek Tankha mentioned the advocate was accompanied by a three-year-old child at the time of the alleged assault.
What questions has the incident raised about airport security?
The alleged incident has raised concerns about the effectiveness of airport security at Jabalpur's Dumna Airport, particularly regarding how in-flight disputes are handled after landing. Critics argue that allowing an alleged aggressor to exit a secured airport unchallenged reflects a systemic lapse in protocol.
Where did Vivek Tankha raise these allegations?
Tankha raised the allegations in a series of posts on social media platform X, tagging the Director General of Police of Madhya Pradesh, IndiGo, and the Madhya Pradesh Police directly.
