IndiGo passenger, high on ‘bhang’, tries to open flight door mid-air, arrested

IndiGo

A 29-year-old man was taken into custody for allegedly attempting to open the door of an IndiGo flight bound for Hyderabad while the plane was still in the air. This incident occurred on May 21 but was only reported on Friday.

The passenger, from Chandragirinagar in Hyderabad's Gajularamaram, had allegedly consumed 'bhang'—an edible cannabis preparation—before boarding the flight from Indore, according to police sources cited by PTI.

Shortly after takeoff, the passenger began to act strangely. The flight crew moved him to a different seat, but he insisted on sitting next to his two friends with whom he had traveled to Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. As the flight was nearing its landing at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, the man tried to open the aircraft's door. The crew and fellow passengers intervened to stop him.

Upon landing, the airline staff filed a complaint, leading to the man's arrest. However, he was later granted bail after medical reports indicated he was dealing with health issues.

In a related incident earlier this month, a 22-year-old man from West Bengal was accused of trying to open the emergency exit of an IndiGo flight from Kolkata to Bengaluru while it was taxiing. Identified as Koushik Karan, he was booked under section 336 of the Indian Penal Code for endangering the safety of others. Karan claimed it was his first time flying and he was unaware of the regulations.

According to reports, the accused, identified as Koushik Karan, was booked under section 336 (the act of endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code. During the enquiry, the accused claimed that it was his first time travelling on a flight, and he was not aware of the rules.