13-yr-old apprehended for hoax bomb threat to IGIA

NEW DELHI: A 13-year-old minor boy has been apprehended by the IGI Airport Police team for sending a hoax bomb threat email regarding a flight scheduled from Delhi to Dubai just to have fun and excitement. The incident led to the activation of stringent security protocols at IGI Airport to ensure passenger safety.

According to the Police, on June 17, Delhi Police received a complaint from the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) Security and Vigilance about a bomb threat email targeting a flight set to depart on July 18. The email prompted immediate action, and an emergency was declared at the airport. A case was registered under sections 182 and 505(1)B of the Indian Penal Code.

The Delhi Airport was placed on high alert, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) were rigorously followed. After thorough verification, it was determined that the threat was a hoax.

The email had been sent by the boy as a prank, influenced by a social media story about another child making a hoax call.

A dedicated team of the IGI Airport Police led by Inspector Vijender Rana, SHO of IGI Airport, was constituted to investigate the matter. The team operated under the supervision of ACP VKPS Yadav. Technical surveillance traced the source of the email to Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.

The 13-year-old boy was found responsible for the email. Upon questioning, he revealed that he is a ninth-grade student and had been inspired to send the threat after reading about a similar incident on social media. He also revealed that he had done it only for fun and excitement.

He used a mobile phone provided by his parents for educational purposes to send the email and then deleted the email account to cover his tracks. He claimed that his actions were meant to be a harmless prank and that he had not informed his parents out of fear.

The mobile phone linked to the email transmission was seized as crucial evidence. After his apprehension, the boy was handed over to his parents.