A passenger slapping a Muslim fellow traveller on an Indian flight sparked outrage on social media when a video of the incident went viral, Indian news outlet Hindustan Times reported on Friday.

Discrimination against Muslims in India has spiked in recent months, amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of their recent military confrontation, sparked by New Delhi’s allegations levelled without evidence against Islamabad over a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

According to the Hindustan Times, the passengers were on board IndiGo flight 6E138 from Mumbai to Kolkata.

“The victim appeared to be unwell and was receiving assistance from the cabin crew when another passenger suddenly slapped him without any provocation,” it reported.

The Times of India said that the victim, a Muslim man, had a panic attack, “began sobbing and walking the aisle requesting to de-board as the aircraft taxied, when another flyer struck him”.

A video clip circulating online showed the victim in visible distress after being hit. Another passenger could be heard asking, “Why did you slap him? You don’t have the right to hit anybody, do you understand?”

A crew member was also heard telling the accused, “Don’t do that.”

The reason behind the assault remains unknown for now, and investigations are ongoing. However, the video sparked outrage across social media, with many calling for strict action against the attacker.

The consensus across social media was that the victim had been hit because he was a “visible Muslim”, causing the conversation to turn to slamming “hate politics” and religious divides.

According to the Hindustan Times, one user on X wrote, “This isn’t society collapsing, it’s decades of hate politics finally reaching cruising altitude.”

Another commented, “What level of harassment and abuse is this? Just slapping a guy because he was a visible Muslim? What action have you taken against him? He should be behind bars and banned from travelling.”

Another comment said, “What right does that person have to hit anyone? Pathetic!”

Attacker handed over to authorities

Upon landing in Kolkata, the attacker was handed over to security personnel at the airport. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) took the individual into custody for further investigation.

IndiGo condemned the incident and confirmed that it would initiate action under unruly flyer rules, which may include a temporary no-fly ban. The airline emphasised its commitment to passenger safety and respectful conduct on all flights.

The airline declared the individual as “unruly” and stated that relevant aviation security agencies had been informed in line with protocol.

IndiGo said in a post on X, “Such unruly behaviour is completely unacceptable, and we strongly condemn any actions that compromise the safety and dignity of our passengers and crew.”

The airline added, “We remain committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment on all our flights.”

In May, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), which is based in New Delhi, reported 184 hate crimes targeted at Muslims all over India between April 27 and May 8 in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.