Pune police have registered a case against a 33-year-old passenger who allegedly tampered with the emergency exit door lever cover on an IndiGo flight from Delhi shortly after take-off, causing a scare on board, Hindustan Times reported on Tuesday, citing PTI.
The incident took place on flight 6E6884, which left Delhi at about 12.45 am on Monday (November 2) and landed safely in Pune at about 2 am. The passenger, a resident of Saswad near Pune, was sitting by the emergency exit.
What the police said
An alarm went off when he touched the cover, causing panic among passengers, senior inspector Govind Pawar of the Airport Police Station told PTI. He said any attempt to interfere with the emergency exit mechanism could endanger the lives and safety of others on board.
During questioning, the passenger said he had touched the cover out of curiosity to see what it was, without knowing it was linked to the emergency exit, Mr Pawar said.
Based on a complaint by a member of the cabin crew, police registered a case under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which covers acts done so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or the safety of others, and under provisions of the Aircraft Act. He has been served a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the investigation is continuing.
What is not known yet
Neither report says he was arrested. The accounts in Hindustan Times and The Free Press Journal both come from the same PTI report. No statement from IndiGo has been reported.