Indian-origin man arrested for fighting with co-passenger on US flight
New York, Jul 4 (PTI): A 21-year-old Indian-origin man has been arrested and charged after allegedly attacking a fellow passenger on a flight to Miami from Philadelphia, authorities said.
Ishaan Sharma has been charged with battery and is facing a USD 500 bond, according to jail records.
A report in WSVN.com said that Sharma allegedly started a fight with Keanu Evans during the flight. Evans said the fight started for no reason.
The video of the fight also went viral on social media. Upon landing on Monday night, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies immediately handcuffed Sharma and took him into custody. Officials said he had a cut on his face and needed stitches.
The report added that cell phone footage showed Evans and Sharma in the middle of the fight as other passengers urged them to stop. “Let him go,” said an unidentified passenger. “Stop, let him go.”
A flight attendant reportedly also tried to break up the fight, but was unsuccessful. "Sir, you have to sit down,” a flight attendant, seen on video, tells the men.
Evans told 7News that he was attacked while simply returning to his seat and he did nothing to provoke Sharma.
“What I hate is that the video doesn’t capture what started the whole thing, you know?” said Evans. “It only captures me defending myself.”
Evans said, “He was doing some, like, dark laugh like, ha ha ha ha ha. And he was saying things like, you, you puny mortal man, if you challenge me, it will result in your death.”
Evans said he then went to use the restroom and told the flight attendants what was going on. The flight attendants told him to push the button for assistance if the argument continues. Evans said he pushed the button, the media report said.
“He kept threatening me with death,” said Evans in the report.
“That’s what made me get up and press the button above me and I just turned around and I looked at him and I responded to him. A lot was going on, and immediately he just got up and he put his forehead on my forehead like he was challenging me.”
Evans said the situation quickly escalated and Sharma was “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 it was, you know, fight or flight responses kick in. I’m in a tight, confined space on an aircraft, and all I can do is just defend myself”.
“If you see on my face, I’ve got some scratches from him,” said Evans.
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Karnataka: Home Department asks motorists to drive on highways with caution to avoid robbery
Belagavi: The Home Department has advised motorists to stay alert while travelling on national and state highways, warning that gangs involved in robbery and extortion have been active in several stretches. It said people should be extra cautious if anyone tries to stop their vehicle in isolated areas.
Replying to an unstarred question on Thursday, the department said Karnataka has recorded 403 highway robbery cases in the past three years. According to the data, national highways saw 81 extortion and 23 robbery cases in 2023, followed by 66 extortion and 16 robbery cases in 2024. Until November 15 this year, 51 extortion and 14 robbery cases have been reported.
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On state highways, 39 extortion and 17 robberies were reported in 2023, while 2024 saw 35 extortion and 22 robbery cases. In 2025 so far, 20 extortion and 19 robbery cases have taken place. The department noted that curbing highway robberies remains a major challenge for the police.
To tackle the issue, police stations have been directed to set up regular checkpoints on stretches of highways passing through their limits. Suspicious individuals and vehicles are being checked. Two-wheelers have been allocated to every station for night patrol, and staff have been instructed to conduct night rounds using vehicles fitted with sirens and red lights.
