'You puny..mortal man': Indian-origin flyer attacks passenger for disturbing meditation
What's the story
Ishaan Sharma, a 21-year-old Indian-origin man from New Jersey, was arrested for allegedly attacking a fellow passenger on a Frontier Airlines flight. The incident took place on Monday night during a flight from Philadelphia to Miami. Upon landing at Miami International Airport, Sharma was taken into custody and charged with battery.
Incident details
Fight breaks out between 2 passengers
A video of the incident showing Sharma and another passenger, Keanu Evans, exchanging blows as other passengers and a flight attendant try to intervene has since gone viral. "Let him go. Stop, let him go," a fellow passenger is heard pleading in the video. Evans said the altercation was unprovoked and started after Sharma began acting strangely and making death threats.
Attack escalation
Altercation unprovoked, started after Sharma began acting strangely
"He was doing some, like, dark laugh like, 'Ha ha ha ha ha,' and he was saying things like, 'You puny, mortal man if you challenge me it will result in your death,'" Evans told WSVN. After alerting the crew of the situation, Evans was advised to press an assistance button if Sharma continued his behavior. Minutes later, Sharma confronted him again. "He just got up, put his forehead on mine...and grabbed me by the throat and started choking me."
Twitter Post
Video of the scuffle
No more vacation…🫣| #ONLYinDADE
— ONLY in DADE (@ONLYinDADE) July 1, 2025
* Man gets kicked off of Frontier flight after getting into altercation pic.twitter.com/us6ipoW5E7
Escalation
Evans said he had no option
At that moment, Evans said he had no option but to defend himself. Sharma sustained a cut above his left brow during the fight, while Evans received scratches on his face. Witnesses said Sharma returned to his seat grinning and took selfies of his bloodied face before being escorted off the plane in handcuffs. Evans said he wished he had been more assertive in asking to be moved away from Sharma during the flight.
Court appearance
Incident started because I was meditating, says Sharma
During his court appearance on Tuesday, Sharma's attorney, Renee Gordon, said the incident started because Sharma was meditating, which, "unfortunately, the passenger behind him did not like." "My client is from a religion where he was meditating," Gordon said. However, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Gerald Hubbart wasn't convinced by this defense. The judge set Sharma's bond at $500 and issued a stay-away order barring him from contacting Evans or going near his school or workplace.