21-year-old Ishaan Sharma was arrested after a mid-air assault on fellow passenger Keanu Evans on a Frontier Airlines flight
A mid-air scuffle aboard a Frontier Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Miami resulted in the arrest of a 21-year-old Indian-origin man, Ishaan Sharma, who allegedly attacked fellow passenger Keanu Evans without provocation.
The incident, which went viral through a widely shared video clip, has sparked intense debate online, reported hindustantimes.com.
According to Evans, the ordeal began soon after takeoff when Sharma allegedly began acting erratically, chanting dark phrases and laughing ominously.
“He was doing some, like, dark laugh like, ‘ha ha ha ha ha’ and saying things like, ‘You puny mortal man, if you challenge me, it will result in your death,’” Evans told WSVN Miami. Alarmed by the behavior, he pressed the call button and alerted flight attendants.
Despite the warning, Evans said Sharma stood up, leaned in forehead-to-forehead, and grabbed him by the throat — an act Evans claimed wasn’t captured in the viral clip. The video instead shows Evans punching Sharma multiple times while standing on his seat, as other passengers and a flight attendant attempt to break up the brawl.
Both men sustained injuries
Sharma reportedly suffered a black eye and a cut that required stitches, while Evans walked away with minor scratches. Evans later stated, “What I hate is that the video doesn’t capture what started the whole thing. It only captures me defending myself.”
Another video angle showed Sharma lunging at Evans first, providing more context to the escalating altercation. A flight attendant can be heard instructing, “Sir, you have to sit down,” while chaos ensues in the cabin.
Defense claims it was meditation gone wrong
In response, Sharma’s lawyer claimed his client had been meditating and that the confrontation stemmed from a cultural misunderstanding.
“My client is from a religion where he was meditating. Unfortunately, the passenger behind him did not like that,” the attorney said in a statement to the Daily Mail.
Sharma was taken into custody upon landing by Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputies and charged with battery. Authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine the complete sequence of events.
