Mumbai Airport Chaos: Passenger Arrested Over Fake Bomb Threat
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Key Takeaways
Mumbai, March 29 (NationPress) In a disturbing incident at the Mumbai airport, a 58-year-old man was detained for allegedly instigating turmoil with a falsified bomb threat, according to police reports.
Authorities stated that the individual, identified as Shanti Kothari, was apprehended after immigration officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport intervened as he attempted to board a flight from Mumbai to Delhi. It is alleged that Kothari shouted that a bomb had been placed on a flight destined for Ghaziabad, inciting panic among passengers and airport personnel.
The Sahar Police have filed an FIR against the suspect under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further investigations are underway regarding his background.
As per the FIR, Kothari, a resident of Sakinaka, reportedly made alarming and threatening comments while attempting to board the flight, creating a sense of fear among travelers and airport staff. The situation was promptly communicated to airport security, including the CISF and other relevant authorities.
Officials revealed that Kothari was near the boarding area when he began making provocative remarks. During the boarding process, he allegedly yelled, "Don't board the Ghaziabad flight; there's a bomb on it!"
A complainant, who is part of the airline staff, noted that he was performing his duties by making standard announcements and assisting passengers when the incident unfolded at Gate No. 51.
Such bomb threats and suspicious emails have occasionally led to evacuations across various institutions nationwide.
Recently, the Gujarat Legislative Assembly was placed on high alert after an anonymous email threatened to trigger explosions at the complex and other significant locations throughout the state. This led to the suspension of the Assembly session, with all MLAs, ministers, and staff being safely evacuated.
Moreover, multiple courts in Gujarat, including the Gujarat High Court in Ahmedabad and district courts in Rajkot, Vadodara, Valsad, Gandhinagar, and Mehsana, received bomb threat emails.
These threats triggered evacuations and extensive searches by police, bomb detection and disposal teams, and canine units, but ultimately, no explosives or suspicious substances were uncovered, and the threats were deemed hoaxes.
Notably, schools in Delhi have frequently received bomb threats that were later confirmed to be false alarms.