The Bengaluru international airport police arrested a 22-year-old engineering student on May 1 on the charge of trying to open the emergency exit door of the domestic flight he was travelling in. The accused, Karthik Karan, is a native of Kolkata and is in the first year of an MCA course. He was a first-time air traveler and had come to Bengaluru on an Indigo flight to meet his friend during his vacation.

The cabin crew noticed Karan trying to open the emergency exit door and stopped him before lodging a complaint against him terming him an unruly passenger. He was handed over to security personnel after the flight landed at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. Other passengers traveling with him panicked for some time before the cabin crew took all the precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the aircraft.

Based on a complaint by Mohammed Umar, assistant manager of Indigo, the police arrested Karan charging him under Section 336 (rash or negligence as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code. The accused was questioned by the police, who recorded his statement before he was released on station bail.

Karan, in his statement, claimed that he did not try to open the door. He held on to the handle of the emergency exit door to get up and to get out of the aircraft, according to the police.