Air India Seeks BCAS Clarity After Police Board Aircraft to Detain CJP Leaders

Air India has formally written to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security seeking procedural clarity after police personnel boarded a scheduled domestic flight to detain three political activists immediately upon landing. The incident occurred aboard flight AI 2428 from Mumbai, which touched down at Indira Gandhi International Airport carrying Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, along with party representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.

The development has sparked administrative concerns regarding protocol, as the airline sought explanations over why local law enforcement was granted direct access to the aircraft cabin without prior coordination with carrier management. Security interventions of this nature inside commercial airliners are typically reserved for unruly passengers or individuals facing grave criminal charges rather than political demonstrators.

Flight AI 2428 touched down at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. Rather than proceeding to a standard aerobridge-connected parking stand, air traffic control directed the Airbus A320 aircraft to a remote bay positioned near the international wing of Terminal 3. Once the plane came to a halt, a passenger stair car was immediately attached to the cabin door.

A team consisting of Delhi Police personnel and security officials boarded the aircraft and walked directly to the front rows of the economy section where the three CJP figures were seated. Officers informed the trio that they were being taken into custody in connection with security measures deployed across the capital.

Footage captured inside the cabin showed Mr. Dipke engaging in a tense exchange with the officers before stepping off the plane. Mr. Dipke challenged the move, telling the police team that he had arrived in Delhi prepared to face arrest. Officers maintained that the action constituted a preventive detention rather than a formal arrest.

The unexpected police entry delayed the general disembarkation process, requiring remaining passengers to stay seated inside the cabin for an additional ten to fifteen minutes while the operation concluded. Fellow travelers voiced frustration over the delay, with some engaging in verbal altercations with the detained leaders as security personnel escorted them out.

The CJP representatives had travelled to the national capital to participate in a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged voter-list irregularities. Authorities had earlier denied permission for the assembly, imposing prohibitory orders across the New Delhi district under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

Delhi Police reported that over 5,000 protesters were detained across the city on Saturday during attempts to gather for the demonstration. The airline confirmed it is awaiting formal responses from aviation security regulators regarding the protocols followed during the airport operation.