A Mumbai woman has claimed that items worth Rs 40,000 were stolen after her checked-in suitcases were cut open during an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Delhi. She said airline responses were unhelpful and lacked accountability. IndiGo denied her claim.
A woman from Mumbai has accused IndiGo of failing to protect her checked-in luggage after she found her suitcases cut open and items worth Rs 40,000 missing. The case has now drawn wide attention online, with many flyers sharing similar experiences. IndiGo, however, says its checks found no sign of theft or mishandling.
Passenger says bags were cut open and items stolen
The passenger, Ritika Arora, shared her experience in a detailed LinkedIn post that has since gone viral. She wrote that during her recent Mumbai–Delhi IndiGo flight, both of her checked-in suitcases were “cut open, tampered with” and valuable items were missing.
She said the missing items added up to around Rs 40,000. According to her, the damage to the bags clearly showed that someone had tried to access the luggage during handling.
Complaint raised, but response remains the same
Arora said she reported the matter through AirSewa, customer care and other official complaint routes. However, she received only one repeated reply: that the airline found “no pilferage in CCTV footage.”
She argued that this explanation did not make sense because, as she noted, “not all baggage areas have CCTV” and staff in sections without cameras “were never checked.”
She added that the theft “clearly occurred,” and claimed the airline was not accepting responsibility. She called the situation “a failure of basic security.”
IndiGo denies theft after investigation
IndiGo responded publicly to her post. In its statement, the airline said it had carried out a “thorough investigation,” including a full review of CCTV footage. The airline said, “We found no indication of pilferage or any irregular handling.”
IndiGo said it regretted her experience but advised passengers to carry valuables in cabin baggage, as stated in its Conditions of Carriage. The airline also said it would support any formal police complaint filed by the passenger and invited her to contact them for further help.
More social media users share similar concerns
After Arora’s post gained traction on LinkedIn, several users commented saying that their bags too had been damaged, torn or tampered with during travel. Some said baggage locks were broken, while others claimed items had gone missing in the past.
Her post has reopened the discussion about baggage security at airports and whether airlines and ground handling staff have enough checks in place.
The incident has sparked debate about passenger safety, baggage handling and accountability. While the passenger insists her luggage was clearly cut open and robbed, IndiGo maintains no wrongdoing was found. The matter may now progress further if she files a formal complaint with authorities.