DGCA gets notice over man's death who had to walk for lack of wheelchair

The NHRC has sent a notice to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) over reports that an 80-year-old man died at the Mumbai airport after he was refused a wheelchair despite prior request to an airline and forced to walk.

Reportedly, the US-based Indian-origin man collapsed after walking for about 1.5 km on the way to the immigration area, the National Human Rights Commission said in a statement. He was walking alongside his wife, who was in a wheelchair.

The elderly couple was travelling from New York to India, the rights panel said, quoting the report.

The NHRC said it "has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that an 80-year-old man died at the Mumbai airport as he had to walk when not provided with a wheelchair despite prior request to the airline."

The Commission observed that the content of the media report, if true, raises a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim.

It has asked the DGCA for a detail report in four weeks.

It should include the status of compensation if any, provided to the next of kin of the deceased, the statement said.

The Commission said it would also like to know the steps taken or proposed to be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

"There has been a significant increase in the number of air passengers as well as the airfare, but the standard of facilities doesn't seem to have improved proportionately resulting in several complaints reported in the media and posted on social media," the Commission observed.

"According to the media report, there were 32 wheelchair passengers on the particular flight but there were only 15 available with accompanying staff on the ground to help them. The wife sat in the wheelchair while the husband followed her on foot and collapsed after some time. The elderly couple was travelling from New York to India," it said.