Bomb threats received for 25 flights on Sunday
Mumbai/New Delhi, Oct 20: As many as 25 flights of Indian airlines received bomb threats on Sunday, causing hardships to hundreds of passengers and forcing authorities to move scores of planes to isolation bays at airports concerned for detailed checks.
The developments came a day after more than 30 flights of various Indian carriers received bomb threats. This week, nearly 100 flights received threats sending security agencies into a tizzy. The threats later turned out to be hoaxes.
Six flights each of IndiGo, Vistara, Air India and Akasa Air, and at least one flight of Air India Express received the threats on Sunday, according to sources.
In separate statements, an IndiGo spokesperson said the airline is cognisant of a situation involving flight 6E 58 (Jeddah to Mumbai), 6E87 (Kozhikode to Dammam), 6E11 (Delhi to Istanbul), 6E17 (Mumbai to Istanbul), 6E133 (Pune to Jodhpur) and 6E112 operating (Goa to Ahmedabad).
Passengers of these flights disembarked safely.
Vistara said it got security threats for six flights -- UK25 (Delhi to Frankfurt), UK106 (Singapore to Mumbai), UK146 (Bali to Delhi), UK116 (Singapore to Delhi), UK110 (Singapore to Pune) and UK107 (Mumbai to Singapore).
"In line with the protocols, all relevant authorities were immediately notified, and security procedures, as directed by them, are being carried out," a Vistara spokesperson said in a statement.
Security alerts were received for six Akasa Air flights -- QP1102 (Ahmedabad to Mumbai), QP 1378 (Delhi to Goa), QP 1385 (Mumbai to Bagdogra), QP 1406 (Delhi to Hyderabad), QP 1519 (Kochi to Mumbai) and QP 1526 (Lucknow to Mumbai).
"Following defined procedures and thorough inspections of six aircraft, they have been released for operations," an Akasa Air spokesperson said in a statement.
The sources also said there were threats for at least six flights of Air India flights. There was no comment from the airline.
An Air India Express flight IX481 from Kochi to Dammam received the bomb threat and the flight landed safely at Dammam, the sources said.
On Sunday, a handle on social media platform X that had issued bomb threats to some flights was blocked.
Against the backdrop of bomb threats, mostly through social media, to airlines, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) held a meeting with representatives of airlines on Saturday.
The civil aviation ministry plans to put in place strict norms to prevent incidents of hoax bomb threats to airlines, including placing the perpetrators in the no-fly list.
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Karnataka govt revokes suspension of DGP Ramachandra Rao, reinstates him
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Wednesday revoked the suspension order of DGP K Ramachandra Rao and reinstated him into service with immediate effect.
According to the official order, the 1993-batch IPS officer has been posted, with immediate effect and until further orders, as Director General of Police (Police Manual).
"The post of Director General of Police (Police Manual) is declared equivalent in status and responsibilities to the cadre post of Director General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Special Units and Economic Offences, Bengaluru, under Rule 12 of the IPS (Pay) Rules, 2016, as included in Schedule II of the said rules," the government order stated.
Rao, who was then serving as Director General of Police (Civil Rights Enforcement), was placed under suspension with immediate effect on January 19, citing conduct unbecoming of a government servant and causing embarrassment to the state administration.
News channels had beamed videos purportedly showing Rao in a compromising position with women. The videos had also gone viral on social media.
Rao is the stepfather of Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya, alias Ranya Rao, who is accused of orchestrating the illegal import of gold worth over Rs 12.56 crore from Dubai to India along with two others--businessman Tarun Raju and jewellery dealer Sahil Jain.
Ranya was apprehended at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport on March 3, 2025, with 14.8 kilograms of gold allegedly smuggled from Dubai.
