India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to investigate the alleged mid-air attack on Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar aboard a Flydubai flight on September 30, invoking the Anti-Hijacking Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The case was registered on October 9 following a direction from the central government. Officials said the investigation would examine the circumstances of the incident and determine whether a wider conspiracy was involved.

According to the First Information Report, Captain Machchhar was allegedly stabbed by the Omani first officer inside the cockpit of Flydubai flight FZ1073 while the aircraft was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Investigators suspect the attack may have been an attempt to hijack the aircraft or cause it to crash.

The flight was carrying 174 passengers and six crew members. The incident occurred while the aircraft was flying near the Jordan-Saudi Arabia border, according to information cited in reports on the investigation.

Despite being injured, Machchhar reportedly managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to restrain the alleged attacker. Other pilots aboard the aircraft subsequently took control and diverted the plane to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The captain received emergency medical treatment following the incident.

The NIA has invoked provisions of the Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016, and the UAPA, 1967. The offences are being investigated under India’s national security and anti-terrorism framework.

The agency’s investigation is expected to examine the sequence of events inside the cockpit, the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault and whether any individuals or groups beyond those directly involved had a role in the incident. Officials have not publicly established a motive.

The case has drawn attention to aviation security and the challenges of investigating an incident involving an Indian national aboard an international flight outside India.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations against the accused will be subject to the legal process.