A Passenger Says He Was Dragged Off Plane for Complaining About Mosquitoes

A passenger on IndiGo, a large budget carrier in India, says he was grabbed by the collar and dragged from a plane before takeoff because he complained to the flight crew about mosquitoes on board the aircraft Monday morning.

Saurabh Rai, a cardiologist from Bengaluru, says he had boarded his flight from Lucknow (LKO) to Bengaluru (BLR) when he complained to the crew about the aircraft being "full of mosquitoes." "When I raised an objection, I was manhandled by the crew and offloaded from the aircraft," Rai told India Today. "I was even threatened."

According to IndiGo, however, Rai was the one issuing threats and exhibiting "unruly behavior." Before "cabin crew on board could address his concerns, Mr Rai aggressively expressed his annoyance and started to use threatening language," the carrier told India Today. Rai "attempted to instigate other passengers on board to damage the aircraft, and used words such as hijack," IndiGo says. At which point, the crew informed the pilot of his behavior, and the pilot decided to off-board Rai.

Pesky bugs on board aircraft are not unheard of. In March, passengers on a WOW Air flight were shocked to find it infested with ants, forcing passengers to leave all their luggage and personal belongings on the aircraft to await fumigation. And earlier in April, a bed bug infestation was reported in a seating area of one terminal in the Kansas City Airport (MCI).