‘Wanted Attention’: Unemployed Delhi Man Arrested For Threats To Airlines

A 25-year-old unemployed man from Delhi has been taken into custody for making hoax bomb threats, marking only the second arrest since a spate of such threats began being issued to airlines last week. Officials from the Delhi Police said the man admitted to making the threats to draw attention to himself after seeing reports of similar calls on television.

Over 275 flights have received hoax bomb threats since October 14 and the Mumbai Police had taken a 17-year-old into custody last week. 

The Delhi Police said on Saturday that two threat messages were received at the capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport between Friday night and early on Saturday from a social media account.

A case was registered and investigations revealed that the account belonged to Shubham Upadhyay from Rajapuri in west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar area. Upadhyay was arrested and, on being questioned, revealed that he had made the threats to garner attention after seeing reports of similar calls on TV.

Officials said Upadhyay, 25, is unemployed and has studied up to Class 12. 

“We reassure the public that all necessary security measures are in place, and there is no cause for alarm. We encourage everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities,” the Delhi Police said in a statement. 

On October 16, the Mumbai Police had taken a 17-year-old school dropout from Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh into custody for threats made to four flights on October 14. After a dispute with a friend over money, the teenager had allegedly created an X handle in his name and made the threats to frame him. 

Of the four flights to which the boy had ssued the threats, two were delayed – including Air India flight AI 119 from Mumbai to New York, which was diverted to New Delhi – and one had to be cancelled.

Ministry’s Warning

In an advisory sent to social media platforms on Friday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said fake bomb threats issued to airlines pose a threat to public order and asked them to act against the spread of such misinformation at the earliest.

The ministry also warned the platforms of action if they did not follow their due diligence obligations. 

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu reiterated on Friday that the government will take strict action against the culprits and that the safety and security of airline passengers and crew remains its top priority. 

“We are deeply concerned In the wake of recent hoax bomb threats disrupting air travel. I assure you that safety and security are our highest priorities, and we are committed to taking strict action against those behind these malicious acts. Let’s work together to ensure safe skies for all,” he posted on X.