The accused initially told the police during questioning that he was under the “influence of a ghost,” police said.
A passenger on board an IndiGo flight was booked for attempting to open the aircraft’s emergency exit door just before landing at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi, prompting the pilot to abort the landing and take the aircraft back into the air, officials said. The flight landed safely a few minutes later.
The passenger was taken into custody, and interrogated by multiple security agencies before being released, officials said. The accused initially told the police during questioning that he was under the “influence of a ghost,” police said. However, he later said he was unaware that pressing the emergency exit button could open the aircraft door.
According to officials, IndiGo flight 6E-185 (aircraft VT-IRW) from Bengaluru was approaching Varanasi airport around 10:20 pm on Saturday when the passenger allegedly tried to open the emergency exit door moments before touchdown.
Acting swiftly, the pilot executed a go-around, averting any potential danger. The aircraft eventually landed safely at approximately 10:35 pm. The incident triggered panic among over 100 passengers who were on board.
Officials said the passenger, identified as Mohammad Adnan, 26, had earlier attempted to tamper with the emergency exit shortly after the flight departed from Bengaluru, but was restrained and pacified by the cabin crew.
Following the safe landing, the accused was handed over to the airline’s security and the CISF, who subsequently transferred him to the local police, in accordance with security protocols.
