IndiGo trainee pilot files FIR alleging caste discrimination by seniors

A Scheduled Caste trainee pilot at IndiGo has filed an FIR accusing three senior officials of caste discrimination and workplace harassment

PGurus Newsdesk

June 23, 2025

A Scheduled Caste trainee pilot at IndiGo has filed an FIR accusing three senior officials of caste discrimination and workplace harassment

FIR registered against IndiGo officials under SC/ST Act

A trainee pilot employed with IndiGo has lodged a police complaint alleging caste-based discrimination by three senior officials at the airline. The 35-year-old, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste, claims he was subjected to casteist slurs and professional harassment during his tenure.

Based on his complaint, an FIR has been filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against IndiGo employees Tapas Dey, Manish Sahni, and Captain Rahul Patil. The accused are alleged to have told the pilot that he was “not fit to fly a plane” and should “stitch shoes” instead.

Zero FIR registered, transferred to Gurugram

Initially, the complaint was filed in Bengaluru, where police registered a zero FIR—a provision that allows a case to be filed at any police station, regardless of jurisdiction. The case has now been forwarded to Gurugram, where IndiGo’s corporate office is based.

As of now, IndiGo has not released an official statement on the matter. The airline’s official website states that it is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, emphasizing fair treatment across various social and demographic parameters, including caste.

Details of alleged workplace harassment

In his complaint, the trainee pilot cited a specific meeting on April 28 at the airline’s Gurugram office. According to him, the 30-minute discussion included remarks such as, “You are not fit to fly an aircraft, go back and stitch slippers. You are not even worthy of being a watchman here.”

The complainant alleges that the hostile treatment was part of an effort to force his resignation. He also claimed to have experienced “professional victimisation,” which included salary deductions, repeated retraining assignments, and warning letters without justification.

Despite raising the matter with senior management and the company’s ethics committee, the pilot states that no remedial action was taken, which ultimately compelled him to approach the police.

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