A 35-year-old trainee pilot from a Scheduled Caste has accused three senior IndiGo officials of caste discrimination, claiming they told him he was “unfit to fly” and should “go stitch shoes.”
The pilot filed a complaint, and an FIR has been registered against officials Tapas Dey, Manish Sahni, and Captain Rahul Patil under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The alleged remarks were made during a meeting on April 28 at IndiGo’s Gurugram office, where the pilot claims he was further humiliated by being told he wasn’t even fit to be a watchman,
He said these comments were part of a larger pattern of workplace harassment intended to pressure him into resigning.
Initially filed as a zero FIR in Bengaluru, the case was transferred to Gurugram, where IndiGo’s headquarters are located. The pilot has also alleged professional mistreatment in the form of salary deductions, unnecessary retraining, and repeated warning letters. Despite escalating the issue to senior management and IndiGo’s ethics committee, he claims no action was taken, forcing him to approach the police.
IndiGo has yet to respond officially, although its website asserts a strong commitment to workplace inclusivity and equal opportunity across all social categories.
