A 35-year-old Dalit trainee pilot has filed a complaint alleging caste-based harassment by three senior IndiGo officials, prompting the police to register an FIR under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The accused, identified as Tapas Dey, Manish Sahni, and Captain Rahul Patil, allegedly made derogatory remarks during a meeting held on April 28 at the airline's Gurugram headquarters. According to the complaint, the trainee was told he was “not fit to fly an aircraft” and should “go back and stitch slippers,” with further remarks questioning his very presence in the aviation industry.

Initially, the complainant approached police in Bengaluru, where a zero FIR was registered, a provision allowing police to take cognizance of a complaint regardless of the jurisdiction. The FIR has since been transferred to Gurugram, where the alleged incident occurred and where IndiGo’s corporate offices are based. The trainee pilot claimed the abuse was not only verbal but part of a wider pattern of professional victimisation, including unjustified salary deductions, repeated retraining, and warning letters designed to force his resignation.

He further alleged that his complaints to higher management and IndiGo’s ethics committee went unanswered, leaving him with no choice but to seek legal recourse. The case has triggered outrage on social media and renewed calls for greater accountability and sensitivity in the corporate aviation sector. Meanwhile, police have initiated an investigation, and a formal response from IndiGo is awaited. The incident raises serious questions about workplace inclusivity and caste-based discrimination in India's private sector.