High Voltage Drama On US Flight After Indian-Origin Man Allegedly Chokes Fellow Passenger Mid-Air; Arrested (VIDEO)

Florida: A 21-year-old Indian-origin man has been arrested in the United States after allegedly choking a fellow passenger on a Frontier Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Miami.

The accused, identified as Ishaan Sharma from Newark, was taken into custody upon landing on June 30 and has been charged with battery. A video of the in-flight altercation has gone viral, showing Sharma and another passenger, Keanu Evans, in a physical scuffle.

'He Grabbed Me By the Throat'

According to a report by 7News, Evans said that the incident was completely unprovoked. He claimed Sharma attacked him while he was returning to his seat, suddenly grabbing his neck. “He was doing some, like, dark laugh like, ‘Ha ha ha ha ha.’ And he was saying things like, ‘You puny, mortal man, if you challenge me, it will result in your death,’” he told the publication.

Evans, who was sitting one row ahead, informed flight attendants about the behaviour and was advised to press the assistance button if it escalated. When he did so after further threats, the situation quickly worsened.

Here are some visuals from the scene:

“You know, he’s looking at me very angrily and we’re looking eye to eye, forehead to forehead, and then he just grabs me by the throat and just starts choking me. At that moment… all I can do is just defend myself,” Evans added, describing the tight space and rising fear.

Sharma Claims He Was Meditating

In court, Sharma’s lawyer offered a different version of the events, suggesting that the confrontation may have stemmed from a misunderstanding. "My client is from a religion where he was meditating. Unfortunately, the passenger behind him did not like that," the attorney said, as quoted by a local news outlet.

Authorities are yet to release further details on the nature of the charges or Sharma’s legal status.

Published on: Friday, July 04, 2025, 10:14 AM IST