Chhattisgarh Minor Behind Bomb Scare Posts To 3 Flights On Monday

By OB Bureau On Oct 16, 2024

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New Delhi: It turns out that the person behind the bomb threats to international flights operating from Mumbai, causing delays and diversions, is a Class XI student of Chhatisgarh. Mumbai Police detained the 17-year-old boy who allegedly posted the messages on social media platform X. According to police, the boy posted the messages in an attempt to implicate a 31-year-old man, with whom he had run a mobile shop a few months ago and suffered financial loss.

The Mumbai Police tracked down the boy and summoned him and his father to Mumbai for questioning, The Indian Express reported.

“On Tuesday, the minor was questioned in the case. After technical analysis indicated his role, he was detained and presented before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) that sent him to four-day custody for police inquiry,” a senior police officer was quoted as saying.

The bomb threats disrupted three international flights—two operated by IndiGo and one by Air India. Air India flight AI 119 from Mumbai to New York with 239 passengers and 19 crew was diverted mid-air to Delhi early Monday following the bomb threat. IndiGo’s flights to Muscat and Jeddah were also delayed due to security protocols but ultimately proceeded as scheduled.

A preliminary probe by the Mumbai Police revealed that an individual using the handles @fazluddin69 and @fazluddin27077, posted the bomb threat messages.

In response, the Sahar police station in Mumbai registered an FIR against the user of the two handles. Using digital forensics, the Mumbai Police traced the 31-year-old man to Chhattisgarh. However, police said, further probe revealed that the 17-year-old boy with a history of disputes with the man was behind posting the messages, the report added.

“The minor has a financial dispute involving approximately Rs 3 lakh with the man and has also filed a sexual assault case against him under the POCSO Act. Preliminary findings suggest that the boy posted the hoax messages to target him,” a senior police officer stated.

The 31-year-old man has not been arrested as no evidence of his involvement has emerged so far, police said. According to police, the minor was expelled from his school for being absent for a long period. A Chhattisgarh police officer noted that the fathers of the minor and the man were partners in footwear business.

Recently, the boy and the 31-year-old man ventured into a mobile business but faced financial losses, leading to their ongoing monetary disputes, the report said.