A man allegedly attempted to open a plane's emergency exit mid-flight on Aug. 7<\/p>\n
Jamsheer Athanikkal was traveling from Malaysia to India on a Batik Air flight when the incident occurred<\/p>\n
"He said he felt like doing so at that moment," a police officer claimed of the man's reasoning for the alleged incident<\/p>\n
A man was arrested after he allegedly attempted to open a plane's emergency exit door while 30,000 feet in the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jamsheer Athanikkal was traveling from Malaysia to India on a Batik Air flight on Wednesday, Aug. 7, when he tried to open the emergency exit, the Press Trust of India, the Indian Express and the Deccan Chronicle reported.<\/p>\n
"The incident took place mid-air between 9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.," a police officer explained to the Indian Express. "Jamsheer was a traveller in seat number 12A, [and] without any provocation, he tried to open the emergency exit and destroyed the exit window panel."<\/p>\n
"He threatened the co-passengers and the crew, who tried to prevent him," the officer continued. "Later, he was overpowered by the co-passengers and the crew."<\/p>\n
In videos shared on social media, the 36-year-old man can be seen restrained by the flight crew members, who used zip ties.<\/p>\n
In addition to visible scratches on the window, pieces of the plane's plastic interior appeared significantly damaged.\u00a0<\/p>\n
GB News reported that the plane was around 30,000 feet up in the air at the time of the incident.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Upon arrival at Kochi Airport, Athanikkal was arrested on charges of criminal intimidation, failure to follow official safety directions and risking public safety, per the Deccan Chronicle.<\/p>\n
Police have since added an attempted murder charge, the outlet reported.<\/p>\n
Airplane emergency exit (stock)Credit: Getty<\/p>\n
"As the act of the accused could have endangered the lives of the co-passengers, we have evoked an attempt to murder charge against him," a police officer told the Deccan Chronicle. "He has to be questioned in detail as part of the probe."<\/p>\n