Police has booked an employee of a Jaipur-based movers and packers on the charges of theft. (Representational)A 24-year-old passenger was detained and made to deboard a Mumbai-bound Jet Airways flight after after a co-passenger found him covering his face with a handkerchief and typing in a message about terrorists on a messaging app.
The co-passenger noticed him write ‘terrorist on flight’ and immediately alerted the crew following which he was asked to deboard and was taken into police custody. As per sources, the accused has been identified as Yogvedant Poddar. “He was detained after his co-passengers noticed him sending a selfie with some objectionable comment. An inquiry is on,” said Siva Murgan, Deputy Commissioner (Detective Department), Bidhannagar police.
Airport sources said the flight was scheduled to take off at 8.15 am for Mumbai. The incident took place at 8.05 am. The message sent by him read, “Terrorist on flight. I destroy women’s heart.” The co-passenger from London noticed this and immediately alerted the crew, who informed the pilot following which CISF was called. Poddar was apprehended and questioned for hours by CISF officials. Later, they handed him over to the police. NSCBI airport police station arrested him, officials said.
He claimed that he was just trying to be funny by sending that message to his friends and had no other intention, officials added. “He is a commerce graduate from Bhowanipore college and Sunday appeared for CAT entrance. His father runs a business of safety equipment,” said an official.
“The passenger was found chatting on Snapchat and using a language which was inferred as a security threat. The incident was reported to the crew members by a co-passenger. CISF was also alerted,” a statement issued by the Airport authorities said. The flight scheduled to depart at 8.15 am from Kolkata, took off at 9.37 am.
