An Indian-origin passenger, Ishaan Sharma, 21, was detained for allegedly assaulting a fellow passenger on board Frontier Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Miami on June 30. The shocking clip, now viral, features Sharma and another passenger, Keanu Evans, in a mid-air scrap.
The viral video features both men struggling with one another, trying to wrap their hands around each other’s necks, as stunned passengers attempt to calm them down.
Evans Claims Unprovoked Assault
Keanu Evans, seated just one row ahead of Sharma, told police that Sharma assaulted him without any provocation. “He was making some, like, dark laughter like, ‘Ha ha ha ha ha.’ And he was saying things like, ‘You puny, mortal man, if you dare, it will be your death, ‘” Evans said to 7News.
New: Ishaan Sharma, 21, was arrested for allegedly committing an unprovoked assault on a fellow passenger aboard a Frontier flight to Miami.
Sharma faces charges of battery and a $500 bond, per jail records.
The victim reported to police that the attack was unprovoked,… pic.twitter.com/9xwPmKNHaF
— The Facts Dude (@The_Facts_Dude) July 3, 2025
Evans told him he first attempted to deal with the situation calmly and reported Sharma’s unusual behavior to the flight attendants on his way to the restroom. The attendants allegedly told him to press the help button in case the behavior persisted.
“When he continued threatening to kill me, I pressed the button,” Evans testified, stating that this caused the encounter to take a turn for the worse.
“He Just Starts Choking Me”
“Yeah, he’s staring at me angrily and we’re staring eye to eye, forehead to forehead, and then he just latches onto my throat and just begins choking me,” Evans said. “At the time, it was, you know, fight or flight responses take over. I’m in a small, cramped space on an airplane, and all I can do is just fend for myself.”
Sharma’s Lawyer Says He Was Meditating
At an appearance in court on Tuesday, Indian-origin Ishaan Sharma’s lawyer provided a different explanation. “My client is part of a religion where he was meditating. Unfortunately, the passenger seated behind him didn’t like that,” the lawyer said, according to media reports.
The incident has triggered online discussions on in-flight etiquette, cross-cultural miscommunication, and passenger safety, as investigators press on with the inquiry.
