In a jaw-dropping example of “souvenir hunting” gone wrong, a passenger was recently caught red-handed on camera stealing a life jacket from an IndiGo flight. The video, which has gone massively viral, shows the man covertly detaching the safety equipment from its seat and attempting to stash it into his bag, leaving netizens baffled, angry, and thoroughly amused by the sheer absurdity of the crime.
The Incident That Left Passengers Shocked
The clip, reportedly filmed by a co-passenger on a domestic IndiGo flight, captures the man sitting in his seat. Unsuspecting at first, he is seen fiddling with the pouch located beneath or between the seats. Within moments, he pulls out the bright yellow inflatable life jacket—a vital piece of emergency equipment designed strictly for water landings.
Instead of leaving it alone, the man looks around to check if he is being watched. Satisfied that the coast is clear, he proceeds to fold the bulky vest and stuff it into his personal bag. The brazen theft suggests he either viewed it as a “freebie” to take home or simply didn’t grasp the severity of compromising flight safety.
Legal analyst Priya Menon states:
“This isn’t souvenir hunting—it’s endangering every soul on board. Courts treat this as severely as interfering with cockpit doors.”
Internet Responds: “Is He Planning a Flood at Home?”
Once the video hit social media, it didn’t take long for the comments section to light up with scathing criticism and hilarious sarcasm. The central question on everyone’s mind was simple: Why?
Popular reactions included:
- “Is he expecting a flood in his living room?” – Mocking the uselessness of a life jacket on dry land.
- “Some people will steal soap from hotels; this guy graduated to aircraft parts.” – Comparing the act to petty hotel theft.
- “This compromises the safety of the next passenger who sits there.” – Highlighting the genuine safety risk involved.
- “Arrest him. This isn’t funny, it’s a criminal offence.” – Calls for legal action.
While many joked about the man’s audacity, aviation experts and frequent flyers pointed out the darker side of the incident. Tampering with or removing safety equipment is a serious violation that can endanger lives in the rare event of an emergency over water.
As one viral comment powerfully stated:
“That life jacket isn’t ‘just fabric.’ It’s someone’s hope in an emergency. Respect it.”
The Legal and Safety Implications
Under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines and the Aircraft Rules, tampering with aircraft safety equipment is a punishable offence. Life jackets are not just cushions; they are critical survival gear. Removing one means that if the aircraft has to ditch in water, the passenger sitting in that seat next—and potentially those around them—could be left without a life-saving device.
Airlines typically treat such incidents as “unruly behaviour.” Depending on the airline’s report and the investigation by local police, the passenger could face:
- Heavy fines
- A ban from flying for a specific period (placed on the no-fly list)
- Arrest and imprisonment for endangering the safety of an aircraft
A Reminder for Travellers
This bizarre incident serves as a stark reminder that what happens on a plane isn’t just a matter of personal convenience—it’s a matter of collective safety. As one viral comment aptly put it: “The only thing you should be taking off a plane is your own garbage and your carry-on. Leave the rest for the next flyer.”
While the man in the video might have thought he snagged a cool keepsake, he likely walked away with a police case instead.
