In an unexpected turn of events, a man apprehended last month for supposedly making a fake bomb threat on an IndiGo flight from Nagpur to Kolkata has been recognized as an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer.
The aircraft, with 187 passengers onboard, had to execute an emergency landing in Raipur, where the bomb threat was later confirmed to be a false alarm after an extensive search.
The suspect, Animesh Mandal, a Deputy Superintendent-level IB officer stationed in Nagpur, was apprehended by Raipur Police under Section 351(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the regulations of the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Civil Aviation Act, 1982, reported news agency PTI.
Mandal’s attorney, Faizal Rizvi, asserted that his client relied on details from a source regarding a possible bomb on the plane. Rizvi challenged the authorities for initially concealing Mandal’s identity as an IB officer and maintained that his client was not guilty.
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Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh justified the arrest by asserting that the IB was notified promptly following Mandal’s capture.
Singh stated that Mandal was apprehended after a collaborative questioning by the IB and local police, which determined that the bomb threat was untrue. “His behavior created chaos, putting both passengers and crew members at risk,” Singh stated.
Advocate Rizvi contended that cases falling under the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act ought to be adjudicated in a specialized court, which is currently lacking in Chhattisgarh. He declared intentions to approach the High Court to request bail for his client.
