Passenger says ‘hijack’ on Air India flight, detained by Cyberabad police

Hyderabad: An Air India passenger landed in police custody on Tuesday for using the word “hijack” during a conversation on a flight. Cyberabad police arrested Yusuf Shareef, 35, a resident of Mehdipatnam, who arrived from Dubai in the morning flight of Air India. The Counter Intelligence cell is doing a background check in order to ensure he is not a part of any terror group.

Senior police officials said that though it was an attempt to flirt with an air hostess, they were checking his background just to be sure. “It appears that he was trying to flirt. But he used the word ‘hijack’ while talking to the cabin crew member. So we took him into custody and started an investigation,” said Cyberabad commissioner of police C.V. Anand.

Mr Yusuf was trying to strike up a conversation with a crew member and requested for a selfie with her, which she rejected, officials said. Mr Yusuf, who works in a drilling company, was returning after spending five months in Dubai. He had earlier visited Saudi Arabia. “He was unnecessarily having a conversation with the air hostess due to over enthusiasm. He asked her if he could visit the cockpit to which she said no. Maybe he was drunk at that time,” said Shamshabad DCP A.R. Srinivas.

According to Air India officials, the crew member alerted the flight captain as soon as she heard the word “hijack”. “As she heard the word ‘hijack’ while the plane was in the air, it was her duty to inform the captain, who then alerted ground control,” said an Air India official. There was, however, no panic among the other passengers as no one, except those next to Mr Yusuf, knew what was going on, said Air India officials.