Passenger Alleges He Was Choked On Frontier Airlines Philadelphia-Miami Flight; Indian-Origin Man Taken Into Custody

What was meant to be an ordinary flight from Philadelphia to Miami in the US turned into a terrifying ordeal for passengers aboard the Frontier Airlines flight on June 30. According to a report by The Free Press Journal, a 21-year-old Indian-origin man named Ishaan Sharma allegedly tried to choke a fellow passenger on the Frontier Airlines flight in a shocking mid-air attack that ended with his arrest as soon as the plane touched down.

Frontier Airlines Passenger Alleges Choking, Indian-Origin Accused Arrested

No more vacation…🫣| #ONLYinDADE

* Man gets kicked off of Frontier flight after getting into altercation pic.twitter.com/us6ipoW5E7

— ONLY in DADE (@ONLYinDADE) July 1, 2025

The unsettling episode came seemingly out of nowhere. The viral video on social media shows two passengers, Ishaan Sharma and Keanu Evans, engaged in a physical confrontation. They can be seen holding each other by the neck. According to media reports, Evans claimed that he noticed Ishaan muttering something dark, something that didn’t belong in the hum of a commercial flight. He elaborated that Sharma let out a strange laugh, “Ha ha ha ha ha”, and uttered the following words: “You puny, mortal man, if you challenge me, it will result in your death.”

He then called for help and was advised to press the assistance button. He did as told, as he received multiple threats from Ishaan. Soon, the fight got physical, with Evans in the chokehold of the man. Video footage shot by one of the passengers on the flight captured the chaos, with the cries of “Let him go!” and “Sir, please sit down!” ricocheting off the panels of the plane. Post landing, the Indian-origin man was arrested.

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Accused Claims It Was Meditation, Not Assault

Sharma was cuffed and charged with battery. His bail was set at $500. What made this case even stranger was the defence Sharma’s attorney offered. He claimed it wasn’t an assault. Ishaan, they argued, had been meditating or practising his religion, and Evans simply took offence.

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The airline has stayed quiet so far, offering no public comment. But the broader questions hang in the air: How do we protect passengers when such episodes play out in a confined space? Are airlines ready for these moments of crisis at high altitude?

Cover Image Courtesy: Americancrime01/X