Man held for hoax bomb alert on IndiGo flight was IB officer: Police

Last month, the suspect allegedly alerted the pilot of a Kolkata-bound IndiGo flight from Nagpur, prompting the flight to be diverted to Raipur

Updated on: Dec 10, 2024, 18:01:57 IST

By Ritesh Mishra

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Raipur: The man arrested for sounding out a hoax bomb alert on a Kolkata-bound IndiGo flight on November 14 was an Intelligence Bureau official, a Chhattisgarh police officer confirmed on Tuesday.

The Kolkata-bound IndiGo flight from Nagpur was diverted to Raipur (Image for representation/Reuters)

Animesh Mandal (44) was arrested on charges of informing the crew after the flight took off from Nagpur on November 14 that there was a bomb on board, prompting the flight to be diverted to Raipur.

Upon landing in Chhattisgarh, the aircraft was thoroughly inspected by security personnel, but no suspicious items were found.

After Mandal’s lawyer Fiazal Rizvi claimed that his client was a deputy superintendent-rank IB official and had sounded the alert based on information received from a source, Raipur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Santosh Kumar Singh confirmed that Mandal was an intelligence officer and had informed the IB about his detention on November 14. But this information was not made public due to the sensitive nature of the case.

Singh also justified the arrest. “The information caused panic because Mandal claimed to be an IB officer. Once the aircraft landed, we informed the IB, and a joint team questioned him for five hours, confirming that the information was false. We have followed the law and registered a case,” he said.

Also Read: After Air India, IndiGo flight from Mumbai gets bomb threat, being inspected

Mandal was booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 351 (4) (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) and provisions of the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act, 1982.

Rizvi said since there was no designated court under the civil aviation law in Chhattisgarh, he had filed an application to transfer the case to the high court.

The lawyer also questioned why the police did not immediately disclose that he was an IB official who acted on information that he believed to be true. “Despite Mandal informing the police that he was a DSP-rank IB officer, he was arrested,” Rizvi said, asserting that his client is innocent.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

Check India news real-time updates, latest news on Hindustan Times and more across India.