Varanasi: A Canadian national of Indian origin has been arrested for a bomb hoax on an Indigo flight that took off from the Varanasi airport on Saturday evening.
According to the police, the man, identified as Nishant, was a passenger on the flight. Immediately after take off, he claimed that there was a bomb in the aircraft.
“The aircraft turned around and landed at the Varanasi airport after all security precautions. All passengers were deboarded and the plane was searched thoroughly throughout the night. However, no explosive device was found on board. Nishant was then taken into custody by airport authorities and handed over to the police,” a senior police official said.
The Canadian Embassy has been contacted and Nishant will be handed over after interrogation by Indian security agencies.
The incident comes at a time when the country is trying to come to terms with the massacre of 26 persons, most of them tourists from across the country, near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. India and Pakistan have locked horns over the issue and Indian defence forces have been put on high alert.
The incident has gained mileage as Canada and the US are home to leaders of the pro-Khalistani and pro-Pakistani outfit Sikhs For Justice or SFJ that is banned in India.
US based SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has spoken about grounding Indian flights. He has also been quoted as saying that Indian troops will not be allowed to move across the state of Punjab in India to attack Pakistan.
