Air India staff allegedly assaults Italian DJ in Hyderabad, airline denies charges

An Italian DJ, Olly Esse, reportedly said that she was manhandled and slapped by the Air India staff at theRajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, on August 19. The airline has since denied the charges.

In an online video, Esse said she was travelling on an Air India flight to Delhi, after touring in Hyderabad, which was delayed by nine hours.Reports say that Air India alleged that Esse was agitated because of the delay.

Esse has also alleged that the police did not respond positively when she went to register a case. She had posted a video on her Facebook account narrating the incident.

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"The lady at the desk who was supposed to help me was rude. At the end of the story she slapped me. I want to complain to the police, but that was not possible as the guy (police) who should take the complaint was not there. I feel violated," she said in the video.

She also alleges that airport security also refused to help her.

"After that as soon as I took the name and surname, tried to go to the police station and file the case and u know what? The inspector was not even there and when I've asked for help of the security of the airport they literally started to laugh in my face. I've tried to ask for mercy and help and no one cared," she wrote.

"Bravo AIR INDIA! I AM LEFT WITH NO FOOD AND WATER FOR 9 HOURS. NO ONE CARED ABOUT ME BEING LITERALLY ASSAULTED PHYSICALLY and the manager didn't even blinked or assisted me!" she added.

M Mahesh, Airport police inspector said they received a complaint from her on April 19 and booked a case under sections for punishment for voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation of IPC and were investigating it.

When contacted an AI spokesperson denied the charge and said the lady whom Esse met at the Air India counter was an outsourcing employee.

"The person (female employee) is an outsourcing employee. She did not slap her. That was a false allegation. Ms Esse was filming the employee with her mobile phone, to which she (the employee) objected and tried to stop her. In the melee, her phone slipped from her hand, but did not fall on the ground," the Air India official told PTI.

The police have informed that an investigation is currently going on and the footage from the incident is under verification.

(With inputs from PTI)