Passenger arrested for delaying landing of Goa-Mumbai flight

Claiming that he was scared, the flyer violated safety rules during descent at the Mumbai airport and forced the plane’s captain to delay the landing.

Mumbai: A purportedly scared passenger of a domestic flight has been arrested by the airport police in Mumbai for allegedly creating ruckus onboard a Goa-Mumbai flight on Sunday. He was, however, granted bail the same day.

CISF took the man to the airport police, where he was booked based on the crew’s complaint and placed under arrest. (HT FILE)

Claiming that he was scared, the flyer violated safety rules during descent at the Mumbai airport and forced the plane’s captain to delay the landing. The passenger was handed over to the police on touchdown.

Salman Nadeem Khan, 26, a resident of Jama Masjid area in North Delhi, has been charged under Sections 336 (negligent act endangering human life or the personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code, Section 110 of Maharashtra Police Act and Sections 22, 29 and 161 of Aircraft Act 1937.

Sabiya Nagpal, 34, lead crew of the IndiGo flight 6E5324 reported the incident to police, stating that a few minutes after the flight took off from Dabolim airport in Goa at around 6.55 am, Khan who was seated at 7C came to the galley area along with his luggage bag to use the lavatory. Nagpal asked him to keep the bag on his seat and then proceed, which Khan agreed to.

“Khan refused to go to his seat and told me that he was very scared. He insisted I allow him to meet the captain of the plane, to which I told him that the passengers are not allowed to meet the captain,” Nagpal said in her statement to the police.

Khan was adamant and stood in the galley and started arguing with the crew because of which captain Fauzan Chhapra was forced to abort landing at Mumbai airport and made to go around, a police officer said.

The ruckus created by Khan delayed the flight’s landing, following which angry passengers forcefully made him take his seat.

When the flight touched down, Khan removed his seat belt and again started creating ruckus in the aisle area.

Captain Chhapra then called the CISF personnel and handed him over to them. CISF took him to the airport police, where he was booked based on the crew’s complaint and placed under arrest.

“He was not drunk, but this was not his first flight either. He claimed he was anxious and scared,” said a police officer from the Airport police station. Khan was produced before a court and granted bail.