Dhirendra Shastri praises Captain Smit Machchhar's courage

Spiritual leader Dhirendra Shastri, known as Bageshwar Maharaj, has praised Captain Smit Machchhar for his bravery during a violent incident on a flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

During a spiritual gathering, Shastri recounted how Captain Machchhar fought off an attacker, identified as the co-pilot, inside the cockpit to protect more than 100 passengers. Shastri noted that the pilot credited the recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa for providing the confidence necessary to maintain control of the aircraft during the crisis.

This account follows a video call between Captain Machchhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which the pilot described how he continued to chant the prayer while battling the attacker as the aircraft began to plunge.