Hyderabad: An air passenger, reportedly high on ‘bhang’ tried to open the aircraft door mid-air, just five minutes before its landing at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad. The incident happened three days ago but it came to light on Friday with the police confirming it.
According to police, the passenger identified as Anil Patil, 29, a resident of Chandragirinagar in Gajularamaram, went to Ujjain along with his friend. He boarded an Indigo airlines flight at Indore to reach Hyderabad. As the flight was on its landing approach at the RGIA, with five minutes to go, Patil tried to open the door and argued with the staff who tried to prevent him.
“The crew along with other passengers and his friend tried to stop him from opening the door but he did not relent. The crew tackled Patil and restrained him till the flight landed at the RGIA and informed the security personnel. The security personnel caught Patil and handed him over to the police, who booked a case against him under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Civil Aviation Act based on a complaint lodged by Indigo airlines senior executive Santhosh Reddy,” said RGIA inspector K. Balaraju.
The police said the passenger allegedly started behaving in a strange manner ever since he boarded the flight in Indore. Though the crew tried to calm him down, he allegedly continued to misbehave with a few passengers. Police inquiries revealed that Patil reportedly consumed ‘bhang’ at Ujjain before boarding the flight.
The inspector said Patil, who is presently unemployed, was suffering from health issues and added that a station bail was granted to him after receiving medical reports and further investigations are on.
