A young man from Assam’s Cachar district has gone missing under troubling circumstances after allegedly being slapped by a fellow passenger aboard an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Kolkata. The incident sparked widespread outrage online and raised pressing questions about passenger safety and mental health support during air travel.

The missing youth, identified as Hossain Ahmed Mazumdar, was travelling from Mumbai to his hometown, Katigorah, in southern Assam. Hossain, who worked at a gym in Mumbai, was expected to board a connecting flight from Kolkata to Silchar. However, he never arrived. His phone remains unreachable and is believed to have been left behind in Mumbai, further deepening the mystery surrounding his disappearance, reported The Times of India.

A video of the mid-air altercation, now viral on social media, shows Hossain appearing visibly distressed as flight attendants escort him to his seat. Suddenly, a co-passenger slaps him, prompting immediate reactions from crew members and other travellers, who condemned the physical assault. Observers believe Hossain may have been suffering from a panic attack during the flight, a possibility that has drawn widespread concern about how such situations are handled onboard.

Family Members In Shock, Panic

Family members waiting for him at Silchar airport were left in shock and panic when he failed to arrive. “When we didn’t find him on the Silchar flight, we contacted the authorities and even went to Udharband police station near the airport,” said Zubairul Islam Mazumdar, a relative. “But we have received no concrete information about his whereabouts.”

Hossain’s father, Abdul Mannan Mazumdar, who is currently battling cancer, is heartbroken. “He was working hard in Mumbai to support us and was finally coming home. I saw the video this morning, and now I don’t even know where my son is,” he said.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), IndiGo acknowledged the incident and strongly condemned the in-flight assault. “We are aware of an incident involving a physical altercation on board one of our flights. Such unruly behaviour is completely unacceptable,” the airline said. “Our crew acted in accordance with established Standard Operating Procedures. The individual involved was identified as unruly and handed over to security authorities upon arrival. All appropriate regulatory agencies have been duly informed.”

However, the airline’s statement did not clarify what actions, if any, were taken to ensure Hossain’s well-being after the flight, including whether he was handed over to medical professionals or placed under protective supervision. That lack of clarity has only added to the family’s anguish and the growing public demand for answers.