India engages U.S.- interpol to investigate surge in airline bomb hoax threats
New Delhi: In response to over 400 recent bomb threat hoaxes targeting domestic and international flights in India, the Indian government has sought investigative support from the U.S. and Interpol to trace the origins of the calls. New Delhi is reportedly pursuing potential links to pro-Khalistani groups based in the U.S., especially following a recent broadcast by Sikhs for Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who called for a boycott of Air India from November 1-19, aiming to “economically destroy India.”
Sources indicate that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has already begun collaborating with Indian authorities, working to trace calls and emails sent to airlines via social media platforms. Between October 13 and October 28 alone, over 410 flights operated by Indian carriers received bomb threats, with Air India being a primary target. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Delhi confirmed the cooperative effort, stating that American law enforcement is assisting in tracking threats affecting U.S. citizens on Indian flights.
In addition to support from the U.S., Indian officials have reached out to Interpol for assistance in obtaining information from Germany and the U.K., where VPN servers connected to the hoax calls are reportedly located. Indian investigators hope to gather data on these virtual networks to advance their probe.
The FBI’s cooperation comes during a sensitive period in India-U.S. relations, following a recent trial involving an Indian official and a businessman accused of an assassination plot against Pannun. India has strongly denied these allegations and appointed a high-level inquiry led by Deputy National Security Adviser Pankaj Singh, who recently traveled to the U.S. for discussions.
Wanted by India since 2020, Pannun has faced multiple charges under India’s Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, including promoting secessionism and inciting communal enmity. Despite his frequent social media broadcasts targeting Indian government agencies and leaders, U.S. authorities have not detained Pannun, citing free speech protections and insufficient evidence linking his statements to terror operations.
In his latest broadcast, Pannun urged followers to disrupt schools managed by the Central Reserve Police Force and Kendriya Vidyalayas in Delhi and Punjab, allegedly targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
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UP: Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially constructed bridge, 3 dead
Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024
