India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to probe an alleged mid-air attack on Indian captain Smit Machchhar aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073. Multiple outlets report that the captain was stabbed by his Omani co-pilot and that he managed to open the cockpit door to seek help while the flight diverted.
The flight then made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where the captain received treatment. Reports say the case is registered under provisions of India’s Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. While outlets uniformly focus on the NIA’s legal action and the flight’s diversion to Tabuk, one source also highlights a possible terror angle as part of the investigation.
Officials’ statements indicate the NIA is treating the incident as serious enough to invoke hijacking-related provisions and UAPA sections, setting the stage for further inquiry into the circumstances and motives behind the alleged attack.
