Bomb threat in Vistara: Mumbai-bound flight gets delayed; passenger arrested
1 min read 09 Jun 2023, 11:40 AM ISTThe incident took place aboard a Vistara Airlines flight, numbered UK-941, scheduled to depart from Delhi to Mumbai.
PremiumA man travelling to Dubai found himself in police custody after an incident at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on June 7. The situation unfolded when a fellow passenger overheard him mentioning the word 'bomb' during a phone conversation.
The incident took place aboard a Vistara Airlines flight, numbered UK-941, scheduled to depart from Delhi to Mumbai at 4:55 pm. As the male passenger conversed with his mother, a lady seated nearby inadvertently caught snippets of his dialogue.
It appeared that the gentleman had mentioned the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) removing a coconut from his bag, suspecting it could be a potential explosive while simultaneously allowing a packet of gutkha, a kind of chewing tobacco, to remain in his possession.
Upon hearing the word 'bomb', the concerned lady promptly alerted the flight crew, who, in turn, notified the CISF. As a precautionary measure, both the male passenger and the woman who overheard the conversation were asked to disembark from the aircraft. The entire plane underwent a meticulous inspection, but no hazardous items were discovered. Despite this, the woman chose not to reboard the plane and made alternate travel arrangements to Mumbai.
The incident led to a two-hour delay before the flight was eventually cleared for departure. Subsequently, the male passenger was handed over to the IGI police, who have registered a case against him.
A false bomb threat earlier sent the Indian Railways into high alert when a hoax call was received regarding the presence of an explosive device on the Purushottam Express train at Dagmagpur station. The train was en route from Puri to Delhi when the incident unfolded.
The Station Superintendent (SS) at Dagmagpur received the hoax call, prompting immediate action and heightened security measures. Authorities swiftly initiated an investigation to ascertain the veracity of the threat.
After a thorough examination and verification process, it was confirmed that the bomb threat was indeed a malicious hoax. Consequently, the train, which had been halted as a precautionary measure, was given clearance to resume its journey.
(With ANI inputs)