Mumbai Police detains minor for issuing hoax bomb threats : Valley Vision

Mumbai Police have detained a minor from Chhattisgarh on Wednesday for issuing hoax bomb threats to three flights, following a series of similar threats that disrupted Indian air travel in recent days.

Nearly 19 flights, both domestic and international, operated by Indian carriers, have received bomb threats over the past three days, sparking widespread alarm and operational disruptions.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Kinjarapu Naidu expressed deep concerns over the alarming rise in these incidents, calling them “mischievous and unlawful actions” that posed serious risks to the safety and security of passengers.

“I strongly condemn any attempts to compromise the safety, security, and operational integrity of our aviation sector,” Naidu stated in a public message on Wednesday.

The latest bomb threats were reported on Wednesday, targeting six flights — three from IndiGo, two from SpiceJet, and one from Akasa Air. Among these was an Akasa aircraft en route from Delhi to Bengaluru, which had to return to the national capital following the threat.

Flights operated by IndiGo, including a Riyadh to Mumbai service and others bound for Singapore, Lucknow, and Delhi, also faced similar threats.

The minor responsible for the three threats was identified through social media investigations, where the boy had posted the threats using a friend’s photo. The posts were linked to a personal dispute between the minor and his friend over money. The boy has been handed over to the Juvenile Justice Board after police action, and his parents were duly notified, according to India Today.

Reports indicate that the earlier threats on Monday and Tuesday, which involved three international flights from Air India and IndiGo, also emerged from social media platforms. Despite the panic they caused, all the threats were eventually determined to be fake.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has stepped in, seeking detailed reports from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and various security agencies, including the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the Intelligence Bureau (IB).

A high-level committee, chaired by Naidu and including officials from these agencies, has been tasked with investigating the incidents and ensuring that no further disruptions occur.