Pune: Aundh businessman Abhijit Bhosle’s short and sweet vacation on seashores with two buddies turned bitter as he landed in a hospital bed from seat number 9C of SpiceJet’s Goa-Pune flight (SG-1080) on Monday evening due to a medical emergency onboard after he had a few sips of soft drink.The soft drink can Bhosle bought from the cabin crew allegedly contained metal shards. At home and recovering on Tuesday, he said, “The flight was delayed, but the boarding was completed by 7pm. Around 15-20 minutes after the plane was airborne, the cabin crew started to serve refreshments. I bought a can of soft drink and a pack of fox nuts.”Bhosle felt irritation in throat after having a couple of sips of the soft drink. “As I continued to sip, the irritation increased and stomach pain started. Soon, the pain and the irritation were too much to bear. My friends — Mahesh Gupta and Raj Kumar Agarwal — sitting next to me realised the gravity of the situation and decided to act,” he said.Gupta, a neighbour of Bhosle, said they examined the food. “We found several metal shards in the drink. We shook the can after emptying it in front of the cabin crew. It made a rattling sound. We wanted to keep the can with us as evidence so that we could escalate it to competent authorities. But the cabin crew took it away from us, citing it was their property,” he said.“The flight landed at 7.50pm. The airline organised an ambulance and Bhosle was taken to Ruby Hall Clinic near Pune station. Raj accompanied him. I stayed back at the airport in a bid to retrieve the can from the crew. When my efforts failed, I filed a written complaint with SpiceJet about the incident,” Gupta told TOI.Bhosle went through an X-ray and some other tests during his three-hour stay in the hospital. A source in Ruby Hall Clinic said the patient had been advised to consult the doctor again after a couple of days. “No comments can be made now,” he added.A SpiceJet spokesperson said, “On September 8, a passenger on a SpiceJet flight from Goa to Pune ordered a sealed soft drink can with a packet of fox nuts. The can was served sealed, in line with the airline’s standard practice. Later during the flight, the passenger reported discomfort after consuming the drink and claimed to have found a metal object inside. Our crew immediately assisted the passenger, checked for a doctor onboard (none was available), and kept the captain and airport team informed. An ambulance was arranged in advance,” the spokesperson said.“Comprehensive checks, including X-rays of the passenger’s throat, chest and abdomen, revealed no foreign object. The attending doctor had also advised an endoscopy, which the passenger declined to undergo. All medical expenses were borne by the airline, and SpiceJet staff remained with the passenger throughout. As per our SOP, the soft drink can was retained for investigation by the vendor,” the spokesperson added.
