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A 25-year-old passenger was arrested at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Saturday (September 27) for smoking in the lavatory of a flight, which caused panic among other passengers, the police said. The incident created panic among passengers inside the aircraft after they saw smoke coming from the lavatory during the Phuket-Mumbai flight on Friday. The man, identified as Bhavya Gautam Jain, is a resident of Napeansea Road in south Mumbai. He allegedly lit a cigarette inside the plane's lavatory, according to an official. Following the incident, he was taken into custody after the flight arrived at the airport, an official told PTI, adding that he was arrested under relevant sections of the Aircraft Act. Notably, as per the country's aviation rules, smoking is strictly prohibited on all passenger flights. Also Read: Bengaluru–Varanasi Flight Scare: Passenger Attempts to Enter Cockpit Mid-Air on Air India Express Another similar incident In a similar incident last month, a passenger was allegedly caught smoking inside the aircraft lavatory while he was on an IndiGo flight from Kuwait to Chennai. The passenger, identified as Sheik Mohammed (28), a native of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu who works as a driver in Kuwait, reportedly drew suspicion after repeatedly leaving his seat to visit the lavatory. Fellow passengers seated nearby said they detected the smell of smoke and alerted the cabin crew. When confronted, Mohammed allegedly argued with passengers and insisted that he saw “nothing wrong” in smoking in the lavatory, escalating the situation further. The crew then informed the pilot, who immediately alerted Chennai Air Traffic Control of the unruly behaviour. As they landed at the Chennai Airport Police Station, IndiGo security staff escorted Mohammed off the aircraft and handed him over to the officials after immigration and customs checks were completed. The police detained him and began the investigation into the matter.
