Mumbai: A 33-year-old Mauritian national was arrested for allegedly smoking during a flight from Mauritius to Mumbai on Monday. According to Sahar police, the passenger, Sairally Zaid, was travelling to Mumbai on official business when he committed the violation that endangered fellow passengers’ safety.
The event unfolded mid-flight when the aircraft’s smoke detector triggered an alarm. A police officer from Sahar police station stated, “Zaid was caught by the onboard crew after the smoke detector alarm went off. He flushed out the cigarette but when the crew knocked the door.”
Air India security officer Vivek Pillai in his complaint said, “At 4.40 pm during the flight, the smoke detector alarm went off from the rear lavatory. Soon the cabin crew Yash Pawar rushed back and knocked the lavatory door. The flyer opened the door after flushing the cigarette.”
The cabin crew discovered a match box in Zaid’s possession, which they handed over to airline security before transferring him to police custody for investigation, according to a police officer.
Authorities have charged Zaid under the Aircraft Rules for compromising flight safety and endangering passengers’ lives.
