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London, Jan 28: A Spanish court has acquitted a British-Indian man of public disorder after he joked to friends about being a member of the Taliban and planning to blow up a flight from London's Gatwick to Menorca in Spain in 2022.

Aditya Verma admitted to telling his friends in July 2022: "On my way to blow up the plane. I'm a member of the Taliban."

He however said he had made the joke in a private Snapchat group and never intended to "cause public distress", the BBC reported.

A judge in Madrid ruled on Friday that "no explosive... was found that would lead one to believe it was a real threat".

The judge at the trial, held at the National Court in the Spanish capital, on Monday - a year-and-a-half after the incident took place -- ruled that Verma, of Orpington, Kent, should be cleared of any wrongdoing.

The message he sent to friends, before boarding the plane, went on to be picked up by UK security services. They then flagged it to Spanish authorities while the easyJet plane was still in the air.

Two Spanish F-18 fighter jets were sent to flank the aircraft. One followed the plane until it landed at Menorca, where the plane was searched.

Verma, who was 18 at the time, was arrested and held in a Spanish police cell for two days. He was later released on bail.

If he had been found guilty, the university student faced a fine of up to 22,500 euros and a further 95,000 euros in expenses to cover the cost of the jets being scrambled.

A key question in the case was how the message got out, considering Snapchat is an encrypted app.

One theory, raised in the trial, was that it could have been intercepted via Gatwick's Wi-Fi network. But a spokesperson for the airport told BBC News that its network "does not have that capability".

The judge in the resolution said that the message, "for unknown reasons, was captured by the security mechanisms of England when the plane was flying over French airspace".

The message was made "in a strictly private environment between the accused and his friends with whom he flew, through a private group to which only they have access, so the accused could not even remotely assume... that the joke he played on his friends could be intercepted or detected by the British services, nor by third parties other than his friends who received the message," the judgement added.

It was not immediately clear how UK authorities were alerted to the message, with the judge noting "they were not the subject of evidence in this trial".

A spokesperson for Snapchat said the social media platform would not "comment on what's happened in this individual case".

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Several users on ‘X’ on Thursday and Friday shared claims that LPG cylinders booked at 11:45 AM were being delivered within just two hours, prompting humorous and curious reactions online. 

Meanwhile netizens quickly responded to the sudden similar bookings by many users.

One ‘X’ user tweeted, “Booked a Bharat Gas LPG cylinder at 11:45 AM today and it was delivered at my doorstep by 1:30 PM. Without any extra cash or charges. I asked the delivery guy if there was any shortage. His reply was negative. This copy is circulating 👇.”

Another user questioned the timing, asking, “How can all book at the same time?” while a separate post wondered, “Why is everyone booking LPG at 11:45 AM?”

Many netizens joked about the posts. One wrote, “Everyone is booking LPG gas cylinders at 11:45 AM, and surprisingly it’s getting delivered in two hours. IT cell has some special gas agency. Is it LPG or Naale ka Gas?” 

One urged, “Please tell these hundreds of people to book at 11:45 AM too,” sharing a photo of people standing in ques.

“Booked an Indane Gas LPG cylinder at 11:46 AM today and it wasnt delivered at my doorstep by 2:30 PM. I asked the delivery guy, why didn't he deliver. He replied cylinders were delivered only to people who booked exactly at 11:45 AM,” wrote another. 

 

One user asked, “What was the auspicious occasion to book at 11:45 AM?” while another tweeted, “I am going to book a gas cylinder at 11:45 AM tomorrow, hope Modi Ji will deliver it by 1:30.”

“I want to ask one thing… If I book an LPG cylinder tomorrow at 11:45 AM and the gas agency is unable to deliver it by 1:30 PM, will it be free like Domino’s pizza, or will I get it at some discounted price? BJP IT Cell experts, please confirm so that I can book my LPG cylinder tomorrow exactly at 11:45 AM,” said another humorously.

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