British-Indian man who threatened to blow up plane acquitted by Spanish court
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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Caste census will form basis for future policy decision, says CM Siddaramaiah
Mysuru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that the ongoing caste census would form the basis for future policy decisions, asserting that the exercise was crucial to advancing social justice in the state.
Addressing a gathering at the Siddarameshwara Jayanti celebrations here, he said caste enumeration was being carried out for the first time since 1931 and would be followed by deliberations once the report is submitted.
"At present, a caste census (Jaati Sameekshe) is underway. After the report comes, we will discuss it and take necessary decisions," Siddaramaiah said.
He underlined the government’s commitment to equality, stating, "We are committed to social justice. No one should face injustice. Even if not 100 per cent, we will strive to ensure 99 per cent justice."
Referring to measures aimed at addressing intra-caste disparities, the chief minister said the government had already implemented internal reservation based on revised classifications.
"We have gone beyond the Nagamohan Das report and implemented internal reservation… now it has been revised to 5.25 per cent, 5.25 per cent, and 4.5 per cent. This has been approved by the Cabinet," he said.
Siddaramaiah said the broader objective was to ensure equitable distribution of resources and opportunities, while reiterating that policy interventions would be guided by constitutional principles.
"Our objective is equal share and equal life for all," he said.
He also emphasised the role of education in eliminating inequalities, particularly among marginalised communities, and said empowerment was essential to dismantle entrenched caste hierarchies.
"Only when people gain such empowerment can caste divisions be eradicated. Education is essential for this," he added.
The CM said the government would examine demands raised by various communities and take decisions based on feasibility, while ensuring that benefits reached all sections without discrimination.
