Delhi: Man poses as Lufthansa pilot to fly with benefits, gets caught

NEW DELHI: Security personnel caught a man impersonating as a Lufthansa pilot while getting on a flight to Kolkata on AirAsia India. Identified as Rajan Mahbubani from Vasant Kunj, the accused admitted to taking more than 15 flights in the past impersonating as a pilot to get special treatment like free upgrades and direct access to the plane without waiting in queues, according to police reports. He boasted about this on his social media to impress his friends and corporate clients.

Madhubani was caught when he took his usual stance of a Lufthansa pilot while boarding a flight to Kolkata at 12.35 pm. He even produced an ID which he admittedly bought from Bangkok and used at Delhi and Kolkata airports multiple times in the last six months. When AirAsia called up Lufthansa officials to verify the credibility of the self-proclaimed pilot, the Lufthansa officials were sent directly to where the scene was happening. Caught red-handed, Madhubani confessed to having forged the ID and impersonating as a pilot to the Lufthansa officials.

In an official statement, AirAsia India's chief of safety said, "The individual in question was impersonating as an employee of Lufthansa airlines. He was handed over to the airport police and an investigation has been ordered. We would like to emphasize that we stand by all security policies and till the time the investigation is completed we would be unable to provide specific details with regards to this."

A CISF official said that he was handed over to the Delhi police for further action. According to sources, he is being jointly interrogated by police and intelligence agencies. During the investigation, Mahbubani said he impersonated a Lufthansa pilot to gain easy access during the security clearance and have preferential treatment from the security agencies and airlines. He used the passage normally taken by crew members for getting into the aircraft, the official added. He also said he was fond of getting himself photographed in different uniforms.

Sanjay Bhatia, DCP (airport) in an official statement said, "There are pictures in his phone of him posing as an Army Colonel. The passenger had also posted videos wearing different uniforms on TikTok. He had travelled on various occasions using the same modus operandi. The travel history of the passenger is being scanned. An in-depth verification is also being done."