CSMIA received two hoax threats last week

Two FIRs were filed against individuals for hoax bomb threats at Mumbai's airport, prompting increased security and police investigations.

MUMBAI: The Sahar police have registered two separate First Information Report (FIR) on Wednesday against two persons for allegedly sending hoax bomb alerts to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Mumbai. A hoax call and e-mail were received on Sunday and Tuesday respectively.

CSMIA received two hoax threats last week

The FIRs were registered after Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), which is handling the airport, approached the police.

In the first case, on November 30 around 5.10pm, a caller, who did not identify himself, called the MIAL helpline. He repeated the words “Udhar ek bomb hai (there is a bomb) ... bomb... time bomb.” Security was beefed up at the airport after this call. An FIR was registered at the Sahar police station after Yamini Bandarkar, manager of the helpline control centre at the airport, filed a complaint.

“Since the caller was not specific and vague, the call was dismissed as a hoax,” said a police officer from Sahar police station.

According to the second FIR, MIAL control room received an email from knr@hotmail.com on December 3. The email stated there are passengers on board with bombs which will go off in an hour. A security team conducted thorough check of the airport before MIAL approached the police.

Sahar police are investigating to find out the identities of the unknown persons.

The unknown caller and unknown sender are booked under sections 125 (endangering the personal safety or life of others through rash or negligent behaviour), 351 (4) (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication, or having taken precaution to conceal the name or abode of the person from whom the threat comes) and 353 (1) (b) (statements that incite public mischief) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita.