A 25-year-old unemployed man from Delhi has been arrested for making hoax bomb threats, marking only the second arrest in connection with a series of such threats directed at airlines since last week. Delhi Police officials reported that the man confessed to making the threats in an attempt to gain attention after seeing similar reports on television.
Since October 14, over 275 flights have been targeted by hoax bomb threats. Last week, Mumbai Police arrested a 17-year-old in a related incident.
On Saturday, the Delhi Police announced that two threat messages were received at Indira Gandhi International Airport between Friday night and early Saturday, originating from a social media account.
Investigations led to Shubham Upadhyay, from Rajapuri in west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar area. Upon questioning, Upadhyay admitted that he made the threats to attract attention after watching news reports about similar incidents.
Officials noted that Upadhyay has completed education up to Class 12 and is currently unemployed.
The Delhi Police reassured the public that all necessary security measures are in place and encouraged vigilance, urging people to report any suspicious activities to authorities.
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On October 16, Mumbai Police had taken a 17-year-old school dropout from Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh into custody for making threats to four flights on October 14. Following a dispute with a friend over money, the teenager allegedly created a social media account in his name to issue the threats as a means of framing him. Of the four flights targeted, two were delayed, including Air India flight AI 119 from Mumbai to New York, which was diverted to New Delhi, and one flight had to be canceled.
In an advisory issued to social media platforms on Friday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology highlighted that fake bomb threats directed at airlines threaten public order and urged platforms to take swift action against the spread of such misinformation. The ministry also warned that failure to comply with due diligence obligations could lead to repercussions.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu emphasized on Friday that the government will take strict action against those responsible for these threats, reaffirming that the safety and security of airline passengers and crew are the utmost priorities. “We are deeply concerned about the 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 social media.
