Pune: A passenger travelling on an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Pune allegedly attempted to open the emergency door lever cover shortly after takeoff, triggering an alarm on the aircraft, police said on Tuesday.
Following the incident, an IndiGo crew member lodged a police complaint against the passenger. Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation.
The accused has been identified as Gaurav Satyendra Rautela, 33, a resident of Saswad in Pune district. He was travelling on IndiGo flight number 6E6884 and was seated in seat 19D, next to the emergency exit.
Senior Police Inspector Govind Pawar of the Airport Police Station told IANS that during preliminary questioning, the passenger claimed that he had tried to open the lever cover out of curiosity and was unaware that it was connected to the emergency door.
As soon as he touched the cover, an alarm sounded inside the aircraft, alerting the crew.
Pawar said that tampering with the emergency door mechanism could endanger the lives and safety of other passengers on board. He added that the alarm system is part of the aircraft’s safety protocol and is designed to alert the crew in such situations.
The incident occurred around 12.45 a.m. on Monday, shortly after the flight took off from Delhi. The aircraft landed in Pune at around 2 a.m. Following the incident, IndiGo crew member Omkar Vinod Kulkarni lodged a complaint against the passenger.
Pawar also pointed out that a similar incident had occurred in 2024, following which police had registered a case.
Police have issued a notice to Rautela under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). A case has also been registered against him under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 25 of the Aircraft Act.
Further investigation into the matter is underway.