New Delhi: A 25-year-old unemployed man from Delhi was arrested for issuing hoax bomb threats, becoming only the second person detained since a wave of such threats began affecting airlines last week. Delhi Police officials said that the man confessed to making the threats to gain attention, influenced by similar incidents he had seen covered on television.
Since October 14, over 275 flights have received false bomb threats. The Mumbai Police had previously detained a 17-year-old in connection with similar calls last week.
Police say accused sought attention
On Saturday, Delhi Police sasid that two threatening messages were sent to Indira Gandhi International Airport from a social media account late Friday night and early Saturday. An investigation identified the account owner as Shubham Upadhyay from Rajapuri in Uttam Nagar, west Delhi. Upon questioning, Upadhyay admitted to making the threats for attention, inspired by recent media reports of similar incidents. Officials said that Upadhyay has completed up to Class 12 in education and is currently unemployed.
“We reassure the public that all necessary security measures are in place, and there is no cause for alarm. We encourage everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities,” the Delhi Police said in a statement.
Teen issued threats to frame friend
On October 16, Mumbai Police took a 17-year-old school dropout from Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, into custody for issuing bomb threats to four flights on October 14. The teenager allegedly made the threats using an X handle he created in his friend’s name, intending to frame him after a financial dispute. Among the targeted flights, two were delayed, including Air India flight AI 119 from Mumbai to New York, which had to be diverted to New Delhi, while one flight was ultimately cancelled.
Centre’s advisory to social media platforms
In an advisory to social media platforms on Friday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology warned that fake bomb threats to airlines pose a risk to public order and urged platforms to curb such misinformation promptly. The ministry also warned of action if platforms failed to fulfill their due diligence requirements.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Friday reaffirmed that the government would take stringent action against those responsible, saying that the safety and security of airline passengers and crew is a top priority.
