New Delhi: A national airline carrier quashed Monday the allegations of a para athlete who had claimed earlier in the day that she was manhandled and forced to deplane while she was travelling from Tirupathi to Hyderabad.
Wheelchair tennis player Madhu Bagri had alleged that she was not allowed to board the SpiceJet Tirupathi-Hyderabad flight and was insulted by the staff of the carrier. She had also stated that she had been physically jostled by the officials of SpiceJet. “I was asked to crawl, walk or do anything to reach my seat as my wheelchair was too big for the aisle within the plane,” said India’s first wheelchair player who was once ranked 113th in the world.
However, later in the day SpiceJet came out with a strongly-worded statement that blamed Bagri for the fiasco. It stated that the passenger was provided with assistance upon her arrival at the Tirupathi airport and she was provided with a third row seat.
The statements also said that once Bagri boarded the plane she demanded a front row seat. “However, with all emergency exits of the Q400 Bombardier aircraft being located in the front row, the in-flight attendants could not keep her request as rules did not permit a person with any kind of disability seating close to the emergency exits,” the statement said.
“Even after a lot of explaining the passenger argued and kept insisting for the front row seat. Since the flight was getting delayed, a collective decision was taken to offload the passenger. As per SpiceJet at no point Bagri was manhandled or mistreated and SpiceJet women staff assisted her out,” the statement added.
The company also asserted that later on in another Boeing flight Bagri was provided with a front row seat. But the person refused to comply.
