The motive behind the threats appeared to stem from a “financial dispute”. - Reuters
SINGAPORE: A 17-year-old boy has been detained by Indian police after he allegedly sent bomb threats to India-based airlines on social media platform X, which led to flight delays and diversions.
The teenager was summoned for questioning after police tracked him down as the operator of the X account used to send threats, reported India’s national newspaper The Hindu.
The alleged offender, who is from the central India state of Chhattisgarh, was taken to Mumbai for investigations and will remain in custody until Oct 24.
The motive behind the threats appeared to stem from a “financial dispute”, said India’s Zone 8 deputy commissioner of police Maneesh Kalwaniya.
“The boy, who made threats under the fake identity, wanted to implicate another person identified as Fazluddin Nirban, with whom he had dispute over business involving money,” said Kalwaniya.
The teenager had allegedly used two X accounts – with Nirban’s first name appearing in the handles – to send bomb threats to IndiGo and Air India.
The X posts stated that there were 6kg of RDX and six terrorists on three flights – Air India AI119 (Mumbai to New York in the US), IndiGo 6E1275 (Mumbai to Muscat in Oman), and IndiGo 6E57 (Mumbai to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia).
RDX, also known as hexogen, is commonly used as an explosive.
The two IndiGo flights were delayed, while the Air India flight was diverted.
Nirban has been arrested and taken in for questioning, said Kalwaniya. - The Straits Times/ANN
