- By Aditya Jha
- Tue, 19 Aug 2025 09:35 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A Mumbai-based entrepreneur recounted an incident on an IndiGo flight where a co-pilot allegedly saw her in a vulnerable state after barging into the lavatory she was using before the takeoff. In a post on LinkedIn, Safegold co-founder Rhea Chaterji stated that the co-pilot barged into the private space even after she responded loudly when he knocked on the door. Chaterji further stated that the crew members kept downplaying the incident by saying that the co-pilot "did not see anything", making the situation worse. However, she emphasised that the post was not to seek any compensation but to alert the other passengers.
"I locked the door & once seated, heard a knock, which I replied to. Shortly after, there was another knock, which I replied to more loudly. Before I’d even fully spoken, the door was forcibly opened, and a male crew member was gazing directly at me while I was in a vulnerable state. He simply said “oh” and shut the door," she stated in her LinkedIn post.
"I felt shocked & utterly violated. To make matters worse, the female flight attendants then tried to downplay the incident, saying they were sorry for the “inconvenience” and were sure “he hadn’t seen anything”. I wanted to run as fast as I could away from that space. Instead, I had no choice but to return to my seat and spend the next 1.5 hours wishing I could be invisible. I felt such a deep sense of revulsion within my own body, and a complete feeling of being alone," she added.
IndiGo issued an apology, stating that the incident was a mistake and the co-pilot has been counselled. "Ms Chaterji, we profoundly apologise once again for the experience you went through due to an inadvertent mistake by one of our crew. Please be assured that your feedback has been taken with utmost seriousness. At IndiGo, the safety, dignity, and comfort of our customers remain our highest priority," the airline stated in its response.