The Union government planned to increase deployment of air marshals on flights, investigation agencies examined if they could establish a “pattern”, and the Delhi Police registered multiple FIRs over hoax calls amid a spate of bomb threats, people aware of the matter said on Wednesday .
The bomb scares continued on Wednesday as seven flights — IndiGo’s 6E 74 (Riyadh to Mumbai), 6E 1011 (Mumbai to Singapore), 6E 515 (Chennai to Lucknow), 6E 651 (Delhi to Mumbai); Akasa Air’s QP 1335 (Delhi to Bengaluru ); SpiceJet’s SG 124 (Leh to Delhi), SG 116 (Darbhanga to Mumbai) — were warned of explosives on board through social media posts. This took the total number of such threats to at least 17 in three days . All the threats turned out to be hoax.
“I am deeply concerned over the recent disruptive acts targeting Indian airlines, affecting the domestic and international operations. Such mischievous and unlawful actions are a matter of grave concern, and I strongly condemn any attempts to compromise the safety, security, and operational integrity of our aviation sector,” civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu said in a statement.
According to people aware of the matter, airport operators, officials from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Airports Authority of India (AAI), ministry of home affairs (MHA), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Intelligence Bureau andpolice held a series of meetings in the past 24 hours to discuss the threats, which have disrupted air travel this week.
“There is a pattern behind the messages. A threat is given using social media or through a phone call, and then suddenly similar threats start to appear within a short span of time. VPNs have been used to post the messages to avoid being traced. We are analysing the pattern, and investigation agencies are coordinating to locate the source (s) of threats,” said an aviation security officer, who was part of the discussions.
He added that the intention behind the threats was to “definitely disturb the aviation sector, create panic, and keep the agencies on their toes”.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior intelligence officer said the bomb threats appeared to be a part of a ploy to increase the burden on security agencies. “There has been chatter in anti-India circles to issue bomb threats to unsettle the aviation sector to a level that security forces are overstretched,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
On Monday, seven flights, including an Air India plane headed to Chicago that was forced to land at a remote Canadian airport and an Air India Express service to Singapore that was escorted by two F-15 fighters away from populated areas, were diverted, delayed, or subjected to a search after posts on social media said they had bombs on board. On Monday, three similar threats for airlines (and another for a train) were made.
In all of these cases, the threats came from one X account, @schizobomber777, which was suspended during the day. The account, with no other identifier, was created earlier this month.
Naidu said the government was keeping a close watch on the situation, with a focus on passenger security. “We are committed to maintaining the highest security standards and passenger safety remains our topmost priority,” he said.
According to protocol, an assessment committee comprising airport operators and security agencies such as the Intelligence Bureau is constituted in case of a bomb threat to assess the gravity of the warning and act accordingly. This committee decides if the threat is “specific” (indicating a possible breach of security) or “non-specific”( (indicating a possible hoax)
“If the committee decides the threat is specific, all the passengers are off-loaded along with their cabin and check-in baggage. The cargo and catering items are also removed. It is followed by re-screening of the passengers and their baggage, and the empty aircraft is thoroughly screened by airline, engineering and security staff,” said a BCAS officer, who asked not to be named.
In case of non-specific threats, agencies don’t carry out any drill.
The aviation security officer cited earlier in the story said “all security protocols are being reviewed comprehensively to see if any changes are required to deal with bomb threats”.
The officer added that they were considering increasing bomb detection and disposal squads (BDDS), dog squads, surveillance manpower and coordinating with international agencies.
A third officer said the Centre has decided to increase the number of air marshals on flights in the backdrop of the repeated bomb threats. “Currently, a total of 35 air marshals are deployed in flights across certain sensitive sectors. The number of such marshals will be increased to 100. The decision to increase the number was taken after the joint meeting of different agencies with the ministry of civil aviation,” the officer said, requesting anonymity.
The officer added that the marshals consist of National Security Guards (NSG) commandos and are trained in anti-hijacking operations. They travel as civilians on “certain sensitive routes” in order to ensure the safety of passengers in case of an untoward incident. Security officials refused to reveal the “sensitive routes” on which air marshals are deployed, citing security concerns.
Police officers have also been asked to take stern action against those found guilty of making the hoax calls, people aware of the matter said. The IGI Airport police said that they registered multiple cases on Wednesday over separate bomb threats received by the airport in the last month.
“A detailed investigation is currently underway. Additionally, after coordination with the concerned social media platform, all accounts responsible for spreading these false threats have been suspended to prevent further misuse and ensure public safety, Commissioner of Police (DCP), IGI Airport Usha Rangnani said.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, consists of stringent punishments to deter hoax calls, focusing on maintaining public order and discouraging the spread of fear. The Act’s Section 353, which addresses “statements conducing to public mischief”, lists punishment for those who deliberately spread false information that can lead to public alarm or unrest. A hoax call that falsely warns of a bomb threat falls under this category. The section outlines that anyone who makes, circulates or publishes such statements with the intent to cause fear or alarm can face up to three years in prison, a fine, or both.
Another key provision, Section 351, deals with criminal intimidation, which encompasses a range of threats designed to instil fear. In cases where these threats include death, grievous injury or arson, the punishment can extend up to seven years.
When someone makes a hoax call that incites fear or panic, they could also be charged under Section 66F of the Information Technology Act, which addresses cyber terrorism.
As part of the crackdown against hoax calls, the Mumbai police detained a minor and a man from Chhattisgarh on Tuesday over the bomb threat to three flights from Mumbai on Monday. Officers said their investigation revealed that the 17-year-old created a fake account in the name of his neighbour and posted the threats.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday IndiGo received bomb threats for three flights, including the Riyadh-Mumbai flight 6E 74 that was diverted to Muscat. “The aircraft has been isolated, and all passengers have been safely disembarked,” an airline spokesperson said in a statement. An Akasa Air flight enroute to Bengaluru returned to Delhi on Wednesday afternoon following a bomb threat. “Akasa Air flight QP 1335, flying from Delhi to Bengaluru on October 16, 2024, and carrying 174 passengers, 3 infants and 7 crew members on board, received a security alert,” an airline spokesperson said in a statement. A SpiceJet spokesperson said the airline’s X handle received a direct message indicating a bomb threat concerning two flights — one was Leh-Delhi and the other was Darbangha-Mumbai. “Passengers on both aircraft disembarked safely. After receiving the necessary approvals from the concerned authorities the aircraft were released for further operations,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
