KOCHI: A fake bomb threat made by a passenger at the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) on Wednesday delayed a Thai Lion Air flight to Bangkok by over two hours and resulted in the accused being taken into police custody.
According to sources, an additional layer of security was in place at the airport ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. The passenger, identified as Prashant P S (45), became irked during the security check and shouted at the staff, claiming he had a "bomb in his bag."
The Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) convened at Terminal 3 declared the threat as non-specific. However, due to the presence of co-passengers with the same booking reference number (family members), the committee directed that the Secondary Ladder Point Check (SLPC) and aircraft check be conducted after deplaning the passengers.
The flight, carrying 180 passengers, finally departed at 4:30 am, two-and-a-half hours behind schedule. Prashant was handed over to the police for further proceedings.
The accused, a resident of Manacaud in Thiruvananthapuram, was traveling to Bangkok with his wife, son, and four others. Following his arrest, his family stayed back, while the four others boarded the flight after their luggage was examined in detail.
The Nedumbassery Police lodged a case under section 118(b) of the KP Act, 2011 (knowingly spreading rumors or giving false alarms to mislead the police) and section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (offense of criminal intimidation). The accused was released on bail after claiming he was aware that his statement could affect the flight service and create a scare.