IndiGo Airlines often finds itself in the limelight for rather bizarre reasons, and this time is no different. A new controversy has emerged where a passenger has accused a flight attendant of allegedly stealing her 5-year-old daughter’s gold chain mid-flight. The incident has sparked buzz online, adding to the airline’s streak of strange headlines. IndiGo has responded to the matter.
IndiGo passenger files a complaint against its flight attendant for allegedly stealing her 5-year-old daughter’s gold chain
IndiGo Airlines, one of India’s most popular low-cost carriers, has once again landed in the spotlight and of course not for good reasons. Over the past few years, the airline has made headlines for controversial incidents involving its staff or services. Now, it’s facing another bizarre situation where a flight attendant has been accused of stealing a gold necklace from a 5-year-old passenger.
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The incident reportedly took place on April 1, when a woman named Priyanka Mukherjee was flying with her two daughters on an IndiGo flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru. She was scheduled to take a connecting flight to Kolkata. During the flight, the two little girls, aged five and two, got into a fight. As the mother was trying to calm her younger child, the cabin crew member, Aditi Ashwini Sharma, offered to take care of the older daughter for a while to help ease the situation.
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According to Priyanka Mukherjee, the flight attendant returned the child to her when the flight was about to land. That’s when Priyanka noticed something was wrong, the gold necklace that her 5-year-old daughter had been wearing was missing. Weighing around 20 grams, the necklace had vanished without a trace.
“I noticed that the gold necklace weighing around 20 grams that my daughter wore was missing.”
When Priyanka asked the flight attendant about it, she denied taking it. Still not satisfied, the mother reported the issue to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), IndiGo Airlines, and airport authorities.
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“I questioned Aditi about it, and she denied having taken it. I then escalated the matter to the Central Industrial Security Force, IndiGo, and the airport authorities.”
But the situation only worsened when Priyanka tried to follow up on the complaint after landing in Bengaluru. Airport authorities reportedly told her that since the incident occurred mid-air, it fell under the airline’s and police’s jurisdiction. When she tried to file a police complaint, things didn’t go smoothly.
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“From the time we landed in Bengaluru till the afternoon, I didn’t get a proper response from anyone. The airport authorities informed me that since the incident happened on the flight, I had to deal with the airline and police. I tried filing a complaint.”
The police reportedly reached out to the airline, but IndiGo didn’t present Aditi for questioning. Instead, their office simply stated that Aditi denied the allegations. To make matters worse, the airline claimed that there was no CCTV footage available to verify what actually happened.
“When police spoke to the airline, they didn’t get Aditi to speak to them. Their office informed police Aditi was denying the allegation. They also claimed that there is no CCTV footage to confirm the incident.”
IndiGo airlines’ statement with regard to the whole matter
In response to the serious allegations, IndiGo Airlines issued a brief statement acknowledging the incident. The airline confirmed that it was aware of the matter involving a staff member on flight 6E 661 from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru.
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“We are aware of a recent incident involving a staff member on flight 6E 661 from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru, regarding a concern raised by our customer.”
Addressing the concerns raised by the passenger, IndiGo stated,
“We take such matters extremely seriously and are providing full support and cooperation to the relevant authorities in carrying out the investigations.”
While the airline has promised cooperation, critics continue to argue on the matter.
Here is how netizens have been reacting to the incident
Netizens showcased their shock and anger in myriad of ways. Have a look at some of their reactions.
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That’s quite shocking and troubling! It’s disheartening to hear such incidents happening, especially involving a child. Theft is a serious issue, and it must be incredibly distressing for the family involved. I hope the authorities handle the investigation thoroughly and ensure…
— DESHRAJ SINGH 🇮🇳 (@deshrajsingh56) April 4, 2025
How low can you go? Stealing from a child mid-flight is a new level of scum. If proven, this flight attendant should be grounded for good—some lines shouldn’t be crossed.
— Grind & Charts (@grind_charts) April 4, 2025
Wow indigo what a customer service!
Beware of indigo folks! Luggage theft is thing of past, now on flight theft is real thing! @Shubham_fd @ShubhamShuklaMP @VishnuFNO @Diwedi01 @legalshishya @bramhasmiiii @_bhavtoshsharma @pramodrama @listen2dil @i_am_Dixit_ @DeeEternalOpt
— Niks (@pmNikki1) April 5, 2025
The prices are cheap,
the service is cheaper, 🤣
& the behavior is the cheapest!#BudgetAirlines #TravelTruths— Παύλος (@morais970454) April 5, 2025
From a minor? Unbelievable.
Immediately fire the person, also pull up the HR who recruited this crew #Indigo— Ratin Sharma (@Ratinsharma76) April 5, 2025
What are your thoughts on the matter? Do share via the comments below.
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