Patna, September 24

A first-time air passenger was on Monday taken into custody for trying to open the exit door of an aircraft mistaking it for that of the lavatory, triggering panic among flyers on board.

The passenger, whom police did not name, is a resident of Kankarbagh locality here, officials said.

During interrogation, he said he was travelling by air for the first time and he tried to open the plane door mistaking it for the way to the lavatory, they said.

"We took him into custody as we had been informed about the incident by airport authorities who were alerted by crew members. He said he was a bank official posted in Ajmer and he had boarded the flight from Delhi last weekend," Airport police station SHO Mohd Sanowar Khan told reporters here.

"We released him after making him sign a bond since there was no indication that his act was deliberate or carried out with any ulterior motive," he added. PTI