Mumbai police have detained a teenager from Chhattisgarh state in connection with a series of bomb threats issued to Indian airlines over a three-day period. The threats, which were made via social media posts, caused significant disruption to flight operations.
Although the claims turned out to be hoaxes, they triggered increased security at multiple airports nationwide.
3 Days of Flight Disruptions
The series of disruptions began on Monday, affecting at least 19 flights operated by various Indian airlines. Precautionary action saw an international flight forced to make a major diversion to Canada.
Following the third day of threats, Indian authorities launched an investigation to identify the person responsible. The investigation led to the arrest of the 17-year old male from Chhattisgarh state. Police have not disclosed the minor, who allegedly sent threats via an anonymous X account.
According to news sources, the string of bomb threats arose from a dispute between the teenager and an associate over money. The 17-year old had reportedly set up an account in his friend’s name in an attempt to seek revenge by framing him.
Multiple Flights Affected
Four flights, including three international routes, received bomb threats on Monday, October 14. An Air India flight from Mumbai to New York was forced to divert to New Delhi. while two other flights experienced security delays.
Seven flights were then impacted on Tuesday 15 October. Of these flights, an Air India flight bound for Chicago from Delhi was diverted to Iqaluit in Canada. An IndiGo flight inbound from Saudi Arabia to Lucknow diverted to Jaipur as a precaution.
All seven threats made on Tuesday were identified as originating from a newly opened account on X. The social media platform subsequently suspended the account.
On Wednesday 16 October the hoax threats continued. According to NDTV, at least seven further flights were affected by threats. Of these, an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Delhi diverted to Ahmedabad. An Akasa Air flight departing for Bengaluru made a return to Delhi.
Summary
The scale of the disruptions has been significant, and an Indian government parliamentary committee was assembled on Wednesday to address the sustained threats.
The teenager is currently on remand and is being questioned by authorities. Further details about the case are expected to be released in the coming days.
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