Accused allegedly choked passenger after being asked to stop strange behavior on Frontier Airlines flight
A 21-year-old Indian-origin man, Ishaan Sharma, was arrested in Miami after allegedly attacking a fellow passenger, Keanu Evans, during a Frontier Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Miami on June 30. The mid-air altercation led to minor injuries for both individuals and ended in Sharma being charged with battery upon landing. , reported gujaratsamachar.com.
According to eyewitnesses and video footage that has since gone viral, Sharma and Evans were seen grabbing at each other’s necks as chaos unfolded on the flight. Fellow passengers and crew members tried to deescalate the situation, with one attendant saying, “Sir, you have to sit down,” while another passenger pleaded, “Let him go.”
Upon landing, Sharma was taken into custody by Miami authorities and later produced in court, where a judge set his bond at $500 and prohibited him from contacting the victim.
Sharma’s attorney claimed that his client was engaged in silent meditation, which was misinterpreted by Evans as threatening behavior. “My client is from a religion where he was meditating. Unfortunately, the passenger behind him did not like that,” the lawyer stated.
Evans, however, provided a different account. He told local media that Sharma muttered strange phrases, issued death threats, and choked him after Evans pressed the flight’s assistance button to seek help from the crew.
“He said, ‘You puny, mortal man, if you challenge me, it will result in your death,’” Evans recalled.
The confrontation began shortly after Evans returned from the lavatory and reported Sharma’s erratic behavior to flight staff.
The incident is under investigation by local authorities and could lead to further federal scrutiny given its mid-air nature.
