Passenger Deplaned, Arrested For Using ‘Hijack’ Word on Mumbai-Delhi Flight

MUMBAI: A Vistara flight from Mumbai to Delhi was delayed by four hours on Thursday after a male passenger had to be taken off the plane and arrested for using the word 'hijack' in a phone conversation just before the flight was about to take off.

Acting as per standard operating procedure (SOP), a search of the plane was promptly done and fresh clearance for departure had to be obtained.

A spokesperson for the airline said they acted according to the SOP in place and immediately informed the authorities about the incident and the passenger, identified as Ritesh Sanjaykumar Juneja, was handed over to them.

He said that a thorough check was conducted in the plane and the flight later took off with the rest of the passengers after getting clearance from the authorities.

According to the police, Juneja was arrested after a complaint was received from the crew of the plane. The flight, which was scheduled to take off from the Mumbai airport at 6.30 pm, could leave at 10.30 pm only, they informed.

The police complaint revealed that, at the time cabin crew Neha Rajesh Kumar Soni was helping passengers into taking their seats, she heard the passenger who was in seat 27E, later identified as Juneja, speaking the word ‘hijack’ when talking to someone over the phone.

Soni’s statement to the police said that she heard Juneja saying in Hindi something like, “Scheduled to board Ahmedabad fight… call me if you have any issue… planning is on for hijack…have its access, don’t worry.”

This led to suspicion in the mind of Soni and she promptly alerted the other crew members, who in turn called the authorities.

“All the passengers had to be de-boarded for a detailed check of the aircraft and the passenger," an official said.

The incident was confirmed by an airline spokesperson, who said, "We confirm there was an incident concerning an unruly passenger on Vistara flight UK 996 scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Delhi..."

Juneja claimed before the police to be mentally ill, it was informed.

A police officer later said Juneja had claimed to be mentally unstable, due to which the arrested man had carried on such a conversation on the flight.

The officer also said a case has been registered under provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others). A probe has also been launched.

The airline confirmed that the flight was delayed because all the passengers on the flight had to go undergo additional checks.

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