An Indian national, aged 36, has been apprehended on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly endeavoring to force open an aircraft’s emergency exit at an altitude of 30,000 feet.
Jamsheer Athanikkal was a passenger aboard a Batik Air flight traveling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Kochi, India, on Wednesday when this extraordinary incident transpired mid-flight.
He is accused of deliberately damaging the window panel of the emergency exit “without any apparent provocation.”
Law enforcement officials surmise that the individual, employed in the hospitality sector, attempted to open the door merely because “he felt like it,” as reported by The Indian Express and The Hindu.
Compelling video footage captured the disarray within the cabin as fellow passengers scrambled to intercede.
Athanikkal, occupying seat 12A, reportedly initiated efforts to pry open the emergency exit while the aircraft maintained its cruising altitude.
Noticeable scratch marks were observed on the window panel he is alleged to have attempted to breach.
When other passengers and flight attendants intervened to restrain him, he purportedly retaliated with verbal threats.
Jamsheer Athanikkal attempted to force open an emergency exit during the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kochi
|
X/DPKBOPANNA
Ultimately, those aboard the aircraft successfully subdued the 36-year-old, securing his hands with cable ties.
The pilot subsequently diverted the flight back to Kuala Lumpur, where Athanikkal was taken into police custody.
The incident is believed to have taken place between 9:30 PM and 11:00 PM on Wednesday evening.
Athanikkal, who works in the hospitality sector, was reportedly en route to his home country to visit his newborn child.
FLIGHT CARNAGE – READ MORE:
Following his arrest, he informed officers that he had “felt like dying while travelling on the flight.”
Investigators are currently working to ascertain a motive for the attempted murder charge.
Police indicated that the suspect’s actions did not appear to stem from any personal crisis, noting that he had not recently experienced job loss.
A spokesperson for the Kochi airport police department stated: “He said he felt like doing so at that moment. It was not like he had lost his job.”
The Batik pilot then diverted the flight back to Kuala Lumpur, where Athanikkal was taken into custody
|
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/BAHNFREND
The spokesman further elaborated: “Jamsheer occupied seat number 12A. Without any instigation, he attempted to open the emergency exit and damaged the exit window panel.”
He continued: “He threatened co-passengers and the crew members who endeavored to prevent him. Subsequently, he was overpowered by the combined efforts of co-passengers and the crew.”
Authorities have confirmed that the flight crew has since returned to Malaysia, with official police statements to be collected at a later date.
Furthermore, authorities are evaluating the possibility of bringing charges against the suspect under the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation Act.
The spokesman concluded: “Police will seek his custody from the court for further questioning.”
