'Keep My Bag Or I'll Crash The Plane': Doctor Threatens Air India Flight Crew, Deboarded
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Dr. Vyas Hiral Mohanbhai was charged in Bengaluru for causing a disturbance on an Air India flight, allegedly threatening to "crash the plane." An investigation is ongoing.
A case has been filed against a local medical professional in Bengaluru, accused of causing a disturbance on an Air India flight bound for Surat, Gujarat. The accused has been identified as a 36-year-old Dr Vyas Hiral Mohanbhai of Yelahanka. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon, around 2:45 pm, The Indian Express reported.
According to the officials, Dr Mohanbhai allegedly demanded that cabin crew carry her hand baggage, which she had left in the front row, to her designated seat at 20F. When questioned about the inappropriate placement of her bag, she reportedly became agitated.
The situation intensified when Dr. Mohanbhai allegedly threatened to 'crash the plane," prompting the cabin crew to inform the pilot. When the pilot intervened, she refused to calm down, leading to her removal from the plane before departure, as per the police report.
Dr Mohanbhai was booked by the Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) police under sections 351 (4) (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) and 353 (1)(b) (statements of public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita as well as section 3(1)(a) (act of violence against a person on board an aircraft in flight which is likely to endanger the safety of such aircraft) of the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act.
Further investigation is underway, and more details are awaited.
To mitigate the impact, the airline will reduce frequencies on 16 international routes spanning North America, Europe, Australia, and the Far East, and temporarily suspend three routes from June 21 to July 15.
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First Published:
June 20, 2025, 10:45 IST
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