Intelligence Bureau Official Arrested for Hoax Bomb Threat on IndiGo Flight
Intelligence Bureau Official Arrested for Hoax Bomb Threat on IndiGo Flight
An officer by the name Animesh Mandal was recently taken into custody for allegedly spreading a false bomb threat related to an IndiGo flight that was scheduled to fly from Nagpur to Kolkata last month. It has now come to light that he is an officer of the Intelligence Bureau.
The 44-year-old officer serves as a deputy superintendent in the Intelligence Bureau and is based in Nagpur.
Mandal reportedly informed the IndiGo flight crew shortly after takeoff that there was a bomb on board, prompting the flight to be redirected to Raipur. A comprehensive search was conducted, which ultimately revealed that the claim was unfounded.
The flight was redirected to Raipur, but after a comprehensive search upon arrival, it was determined that the information was unfounded.
Mandal was apprehended by the Raipur Police in accordance with section 351 (4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to criminal intimidation through anonymous communication, as well as under the provisions of the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act, 1982.
The authorities assert that he supplied misleading information, which necessitated an emergency landing for the flight carrying 187 passengers on November 14.
Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh stated that the police promptly notified the Intelligence Bureau after his detention, as reported by PTI. Singh further explained that Mandal was apprehended only after a collaborative investigation by the local police and the IB, which revealed that the information he provided was false.
In 2024, airlines in India encountered 719 hoax bomb threat messages, bringing the total to 809 over the past five years, according to government data presented in Parliament.
Mandal’s attorney, Faizal Rizvi, asserts that his client is not guilty. He states that after Mandal boarded the plane, he received information from a source regarding a bomb threat.
“The police should have revealed right away that he is an IB official,” the lawyer questioned during a conversation with reporters.
