A passenger from SpiceJet was removed from a flight and handed over to authorities for smoking on an airport ramp and behaving inappropriately towards staff members, causing a stir on social media, the airline reported on Monday. The passenger, identified as Utkarsh Gautam, was on a flight from Mumbai to Jaipur on March 2 when the incident occurred. According to the airline, Utkarsh, who was said to be employed by Google, breached safety protocols by smoking in a restricted area and acted aggressively towards ground staff and CISF personnel when confronted. A video that went viral, which could not be independently verified by India Today TV, depicted Gautam smoking on the tarmac despite being warned by a ground staff member of the safety hazards. He was then shown engaging in a heated argument with airline staff, blowing smoke at them through a counter opening, and repeatedly asking for evidence of a no-smoking policy. The exact airport where the incident took place was not disclosed. In the footage, Gautam can also be heard bragging about his salary and speaking disrespectfully to staff members. Despite efforts by others to calm him down, he persisted in confronting airline personnel. A spokesperson for SpiceJet confirmed that the passenger was promptly removed from the flight for breaching safety regulations and displaying inappropriate behavior, and was subsequently handed over to the police for further action. The spokesperson stated, “The incident occurred on March 2, 2026, when a passenger traveling from Mumbai to Jaipur was caught smoking on the ramp, in clear violation of safety regulations. The passenger also exhibited misconduct towards our ground staff and CISF personnel. He was immediately removed from the flight and handed over to the police for further action.” India Today TV attempted to access Utkarsh’s Instagram and X profiles at the time of reporting, but both accounts were inaccessible with messages stating, “This account doesn’t exist” and “profile isn’t available.” Following this incident, there were reports of another altercation involving Gautam. On March 22, he allegedly tried to open an emergency exit during an IndiGo flight, leading to intervention by the cabin crew. He purportedly verbally abused and threatened airline staff during the flight. Upon landing at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, security personnel were alerted, and a complaint was filed against Gautam, who was taken in for questioning. The situation escalated when Gautam allegedly posted offensive videos on social media criticizing the police, claiming he was wrongfully detained and accusing airline staff of misconduct. However, Bengaluru Police refuted these claims, stating that no arrest or assault had occurred. In a now-deleted post on X, Utkarsh mentioned, “I have been detained at the Kempegowda International Airport police station for unruly behavior by IndiGo staff. They were the ones who hijacked the plane. They didn’t provide water, access to the restroom, medications, and passengers stood for an hour. Despite this, they filed a false complaint, and the police detained me. Please help.” These consecutive incidents have raised concerns regarding passenger conduct, aviation safety, and the enforcement of regulations at airports.
Google Employee Causes Stir on SpiceJet Flight; Removed for Smoking & Misconduct
