IndiGo employee resignation: What led to allegations of touching supervisor's feet at Bengaluru airport? Airline reacts

Mohammad Jamshid Y, a former IndiGo employee, who worked as a ground staff member at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport, claimed that he was asked to touch his supervisor's feet to apologise after reporting to work without wearing a tie.

He said he refused to comply, noting that such a demand was degrading and had no place in a professional work environment, and subsequently put in his papers. However, IndiGo, in a statement, refuted his claims citing no evidence found in its review. It noted that the employee had performance-related issues, including "recurring professional misconduct".

What did Jamshid allege?

Jamshid, in an Instagram video, said the incident unfolded during a routine inspection at Terminal 1, where a senior official allegedly spotted that he was not wearing a tie. He said he acknowledged the lapse without hesitation, apologised for the oversight, and explained that he had accidentally forgotten to wear it. He also assured the official that the mistake would not be repeated.

Following his refusal to touch his supervisor's feet, he was allegedly asked to leave the terminal.

Reflecting on the episode, Jamshid maintained that while forgetting to wear the tie was entirely his fault, the matter should have been handled professionally.

"I fully accepted responsibility for forgetting my tie. A uniform violation, if any, should be addressed professionally and respectfully. In my view, no employee should be asked to do something that compromises their dignity and self-respect," he mentioned.

Jamshid said he later discussed the incident with colleagues before filing a complaint with IndiGo's ethics and compliance department. While he appreciated the airline for looking into the matter, he said he was unhappy with the findings.

“After careful consideration, I concluded that I could no longer continue in an environment where I felt my dignity and self-respect had been affected. I therefore decided to resign from my position. I remain grateful for the opportunities I received during my time with IndiGo and appreciate the colleagues who supported me throughout my employment. At the same time, I believe every employee, regardless of rank or designation, deserves to be treated with dignity, fairness, and respect,” he stated.

He added, “My hope is that by sharing my experience, attention can be drawn to the importance of workplace culture, employee dignity, and the need for employees to feel heard when raising concerns."

Jamshid's video has gained significant traction on social media, prompting many users to share accounts of similar experiences at workplaces. Several others rallied behind him and urged IndiGo to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations.

IndiGo reacts

“We would also like to state that the concerns raised by the employee were thoroughly reviewed through the company's established processes and no evidence was found to substantiate the allegations,” IndiGo spokesperson said.

“Throughout the tenure, the employee in question had a documented record of recurring professional misconduct and performance-related concerns, including unauthorized absences, which were addressed through counselling and other managerial interventions. Despite this, all efforts were made to support his development and provide opportunities for improvement,” the airline further said.

It added, "IndiGo has always upheld its policies, due processes, while remaining committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and professional workplace. We take all employee concerns seriously and encourage employees to raise issues through the appropriate channels so they can be examined thoroughly and objectively."

Netizens react

Many social media users told Jamshid that he made the right decision, while expressing sympathy towards him for going through this experience.

One of the social media users said, “Hatsoff to you bro Good decision 💯 Self respect is most IMP. you take the good decision.” Another remarked, “There's a never ending number of Experiences of politics and humiliating stories ..every aviation employee is going thru..it's really really sad...inhumanity at its peak.”

“Hope you get to world class airlines that reward quality,” commented a third. A fourth user suggested, “Have faith in God Almighty he knows what’s best you ahead.”