Bedridden with a fractured spine, Mudassir Ahmad is staring at a long, uncertain road to recovery. All that he did, the SpiceJet employee says, is ask an army officer to pay for his excess baggage.

His physical pain is compounded by something he and his family feel is more hurtful: taunts from people using his Kashmiri Muslim identity to vilify him and justify the assault.

SpiceJet on Sunday said a senior army officer, identified by sources as Lt Colonel R.K. Singh, assaulted four members of its ground staff at Srinagar airport after being asked to pay excess-baggage charges. The attack left Mudassir with a fractured spine and another employee with a broken jaw.

The airline, which called it a “murderous assault”, said it had got an FIR registered with Srinagar police and initiated the process to place the passenger on the no-fly list.

The officer has filed a counter-complaint alleging he was assaulted, prompting the police to register an FIR against the airline staff.

Multiple videos circulating on social media appear to show the passenger attacking the airline staff, while one shows a group of men – purportedly airline staff – arguing hotly with the passenger and punching him. The passenger then appears to pick up an object and start hitting the men.

The issue has now taken a “nationalist” and communal colour. Several veterans have urged people to boycott SpiceJet, and many others have cited Mudassir’s religion – he’s the only one among the assaulted airline employees to be identified by name so far -- to suggest he must be at fault.

“Instead of receiving sympathy, we are facing accusations of being anti-national. We are proud citizens of India. Just being Kashmiri and Muslim should not be a reason for people to vilify us,” a member of Mudassir’s family told The Telegraph. This newspaper is not revealing his name to protect him.

“There are comments comparing him to a pig; others salute the officer for doing this to him. They are very hurtful. What is our fault?”

The family member said that doctors had advised Mudassir complete rest for two to three months. “Thank God, no surgery has been advised. But he will remain bedridden for months,” he said.

Mudassir said he was aware of the counterclaims but added that anyone could access the CCTV footage to ascertain who was at fault.

“Whatever, you cannot harm anybody to the extent of (nearly) killing him,” he said, struggling to speak.

“We stopped him over his baggage, which is normal. There is evidence of it on CCTV. He started hitting, punching us and running. He pushed the CISF employee and barged in. He then picked up (an object) and started hitting people on their heads.”

Mudassir said the officer hit him in the face with his baggage before punching and kicking him. “He used his fist and feet to hit me. He punched me and I fell down. I was bleeding heavily,” he said.

Mudassir said the rules allow one piece of hand baggage, weighing 7kg, but the passenger was carrying two, together weighing 16kg.

“I told him he would have to pay for extra baggage. He started shouting. I called up my duty manager and asked him to come,” he said.

“The manager too explained (the matter) to him. He then pushed the CISF employee and walked through the boarding gate, which is not allowed. The CISF employee brought him back.”

Airport assault

Lt General Vinod Bhatia, former Director-General of Military Operations, was among veterans who called for a boycott of the airline.

“#BoycotSpicejet I urge citizens of India & Faujis past & present & their dependents to boycot SpiceJet. Their staff insults, misbehaves and manhandles soldiers, and thereafter lodges false complaints. Recent incident in Srinagar is only one example. RT please. Jago fliers please,” he said on X.

When some users accused him of lying and offering no evidence, the veteran regretted that people expected him to defend “you and the nation” but not himself.

Major General (retired) Mandip Singh, a doctor, said that after getting “to know the actual reason of the fracas & seeing the behaviour of Spicejet staff towards a brother officer”, he had decided never “to travel by SpiceJet”.