Mumbai teen taken into custody for series of hoax bomb threats to airlines over personal dispute with friend
The school dropout reportedly created a social media account on X (formerly Twitter) using his friend's identity and began posting bomb threats
Hoax bomb threats: A 17-year-old from Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, was taken into custody by the Mumbai Police for allegedly making a series of bomb threats to multiple airlines, causing significant disruptions, including the diversion of an international flight to a remote Canadian airport. The teenager's motive, according to the police, was to frame a friend following a financial dispute between them.
The school dropout reportedly created a social media account on X (formerly Twitter) using his friend's identity and began posting bomb threats. The police have registered three FIRs related to these hoax bomb threats, which began on Monday, targeting 12 flights in total.
Details of the incident
The threats led to disruptions for several airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Air India Express.
On Monday, the boy issued hoax threats to four flights, causing delays and cancellations. One of the affected flights, Air India AI 119 from Mumbai to New York, was diverted to New Delhi.
On Tuesday, seven flights were disrupted, including Air India AI 127 from Delhi to Chicago, which was redirected to Iqaluit airport in Canada. Another IndiGo flight made an emergency landing in Jaipur.
The boy has been taken to a remand home, while his father continues to be questioned by the police.
Hoax threats continued on Wednesday, affecting flights such as Akasa Air’s QP 1335 from New Delhi to Bengaluru, which returned to the capital, and IndiGo's 6E 651 from Mumbai to Delhi, which was diverted to Ahmedabad. The Delhi Police have also registered FIRs in connection with the ongoing threats.
During a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, aviation officials provided updates on the situation, stating that some suspects have been identified based on "critical leads." Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also held discussions with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to address the situation.
Senior airline officials highlighted the financial impact of such hoax calls, but stressed the importance of taking every threat seriously to ensure passenger safety.