DGCA begins probe after Air India passenger suffers brain stroke from fall

The DGCA has sought a detailed report from Air India after an 82-year-old passenger suffered a fall at the Delhi airport following an alleged delay in providing her a wheelchair. The woman was admitted to ICU for brain stroke.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sought a detailed report from Air India after an 82-year-old passenger suffered a fall at the Delhi airport following an alleged delay in providing her a wheelchair. The woman was admitted to ICU for brain stroke.

“We have asked Air India for a detailed report with evidence by Monday,” a senior DGCA official told The Hindu.

A team of DGCA officials also met with the family of the octogenarian at the IAF’s Command Hospital in Bengaluru on Sunday (March 9, 2025). A written complaint was formally handed over by the family as well.

The woman, Raj Pasricha, sustained head and facial injuries at the Delhi airport on March 4 due to a fall while she was making her way to the check-in counter following an alleged delay in providing her a wheelchair. The wheelchair had been booked at the time of purchasing the air ticket for her flight to Bengaluru.

She was administered first aid at the Delhi airport but continued to bleed throughout the journey and was administered stitches upon arrival at the Bengaluru airport. Air India maintains that the passenger arrived only 90 minutes before the flight, while the airline recommends reporting at least two hours before departure. Check-in counters close 60 minutes before departure.

The woman had been admitted in the ICU due to brain stroke for four days after she was brought to the Command Hospital on March 5. She was also placed under the “dangerously ill” category. On Saturday, she was moved to the family ward. Her grand daughter Parul Kanwar told The Hindu that Ms. Pasricha is still weak and will be under observation for a few more days. She may also need physiotherapy for the next few months due to weakness in the left side of her body.