Delhi/Ayodhya: The problem of flights receiving bomb threats continues unabated. On Sunday also, at least 50 flights operated by Indian airlines received bomb threats and two of them were diverted, according to sources. In the last 14 days, more than 350 flights operated have received hoax bomb threats via social media.
The authorities swung into action after a bomb threat to the Akasa Airlines plane coming from Bengaluru to Ayodhya was received. Also, there was panic following a bomb threat to the flight coming from Bengaluru to Gorakhpur.
On receiving information about a bomb in a flight coming from Bengaluru to Ayodhya, top police officials reached Maharishi Valmiki International Airport. All the concerned departments have been alerted to deal with the emergency. The bomb disposal squad started the investigation after the plane landed. The passengers were also checked. At present, no threat has been found. However, the investigation is ongoing.
About 15 flights of Akasa Air faced security alerts all aircraft were released for operations after conducting checks. As per sources, IndiGo received threats for 18 flights and Vistara for 17 flights.
Following these threats, at least two IndiGo flights were diverted. An official said that their flight 6E 133 (Pune to Jodhpur) was diverted to Ahmedabad and 6E 87 (Kozhikode to Dammam) was diverted to Mumbai.
An IndiGo statement said that the flights that received security-related alerts include 6E 11 (Delhi-Istanbul), 6E 92 (Jeddah-Mumbai), 6E 112 (Goa-Ahmedabad), 6E 125 (Bengaluru-Jharsuguda), 6E 127 (Amritsar-Ahmedabad) and 6E 135 (Kolkata-Pune).
Among others are 6E 149 (Hyderabad to Bagdogra), 6E 173 (Delhi to Bengaluru), 6E 175 (Bengaluru to Delhi), 6E 197 (Raipur to Hyderabad), 6E 248 (Mumbai to Kolkata), 6E 277 (Ahmedabad-Lucknow), 6E 312 (Bengaluru to Kolkata), 6E 235 (Kolkata-Bengaluru) and 6E 74 (Riyadh-Mumbai).
On the other hand, nine hotels in Uttar Pradesh's capital Lucknow received bomb threats on Sunday. All these hotels received threatening mails. The mailers have demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakhs from the hotel operators. The mail threats mentioned that the bombs have been hidden in black bags in the ground at the respective hotels. Lucknow police is trying to track the IP address of the mail sender.
The mail sender has threatened to blow up the hotels if they do not concede his demands. As soon as the information about the bomb in a hotel was received, the police and the bomb disposal squad reached the spot and began the search operation. The hotels which have received the threatening mail include Lemon Tree, Sarka, Piccadilly, Marriot, Comfort Vista, Fortune, Clark Avadh, Dayal Gateway and Casa, according to police. (with PTI inputs)
