India, Dec. 21 -- A day after an off-duty Air India Express pilot allegedly assaulted a passenger at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, the ministry of civil aviation on Saturday said they have taken cognizance of the incident and directed the airline to ground the pilot with immediate effect.

The ministry said a formal enquiry has been ordered and detailed reports have been sought from the bureau of civil aviation security (BCAS) and the central industrial security force (CISF). Delhi Police said they had not received any formal complaint in connection with the incident.

"The Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken serious cognizance of the incident and directed the airline to ground the pilot with immediate effect. A form...