Mumbai
oi-Swastika Sruti
A Mumbai-based Air India captain in his 40s was found dead inside a hotel room in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj on Friday, a day before he was scheduled to operate a flight, police said.
An Air India captain, scheduled for a flight Saturday, was found dead in his Vasant Kunj, Delhi hotel room on Friday after checking in for a layover; the cause of death is under investigation pending autopsy results.
The pilot had been staying at the hotel during a layover after checking in on Thursday. Police were alerted after his brother contacted the hotel and said the pilot was not responding to calls.
Pilot Found Unconscious Inside Hotel Room
According to Delhi Police, the hotel informed the Vasant Kunj North police station about the incident on Friday.
A police team reached the hotel and found the pilot unconscious inside his room. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Police said the room was locked from the inside when the hotel manager reached it. After receiving the call from the pilot’s brother, the manager used the hotel’s master key to enter the room, where he found the captain lying unconscious.
Brother Raised Alarm After Calls Went Unanswered
The pilot’s brother contacted the hotel manager on Friday evening after being unable to reach him by phone. The manager then went to the pilot’s room to check on him. After finding the door locked from inside, he entered using the master key and discovered the pilot unconscious.
Police said the exact cause of death has not yet been established.
Autopsy Conducted at Safdarjung Hospital
Postmortem was carried out at Safdarjung hospital on Saturday as investigators try to establish the cause of death. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest), Amit Goel said that the inquest process has started under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The cause of death will be finally determined after getting the report of postmortem. Further investigations are being carried out by the police.
Pilot Was Scheduled to Operate Flight on Saturday
The pilot met his death just a day before he was supposed to fly on board an Air India flight. According to Air India, the pilot is dead and had been scheduled for a flight very early Saturday morning.
The airline said it was deeply aggrieved with the occurrence and is in touch with the family of the deceased.
According to the airline, the captain had previously worked with Air India Express before moving to Air India a couple of months ago.
“Air India is in close touch with his family and is extending all support at this time of grief,” an Air India spokesperson said.
