Pawan Khera Deplaning Incident at Delhi Airport: IndiGo Airline Issues First Statement

The Delhi Police on Thursday, February 23, 2023 arrested Congress leaser Pawan Khera at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. He was deplaned from a Raipur-bound IndiGo flight, ready to take off from Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport. This created a ruckus at the Airport, causing a delay of the IndiGo flight, as all the passengers were deboarded from the plane and taken back to the airport terminal. The passengers of the Flight 6E 204 were later taken in another IndiGo flight that left Delhi airport for Raipur at around 2.30 pm, according to officials.

IndiGo, now, has issued first official statement amid a political furore over Congress leader Pawan Khera being deplaned at Delhi airport. The airline said the passenger was deplaned by the police and it is following the advice of concerned authorities. "The flight is delayed as of now and we regret the inconvenience caused to other passengers," the carrier said in a statement.

"A passenger was deplaned by the police at the Delhi airport from Raipur-bound flight 6E 204. Some other passengers have also decided to deboard on their own accord," it added.
The incident happened at Terminal 1 of the Delhi airport. Khera was later detained.

The majority of the passengers had boarded when drama ensued as Khera was asked to deplane. Several Congress leaders deboarded with Khera and staged a dharna on the tarmac. As the protest continued, the airline staff asked passengers to deboard and took them back to the terminal.

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to Assam and the UP Police over Congress leader Pawan Khera's plea seeking clubbing of FIRs and granted him interim protection from arrest. The Supreme Court further directed the Dwaraka Court to release the petitioner on interim bail till the next date of hearing.

Pawan Khera recently referred to the Prime Minister as "Narendra Gautamdas Modi" while criticising the Central government over the row involving the business conglomerate headed by Gautam Adani. The ruling party has accused him of making fun of the prime minister and his late father.

With agencies inputs