Jagdambika’s ‘aide’ makes IA bomb hoax call

Indian Airlines Delhi-Patna-Ranchi flight IC-810 was grounded in Patna for over three hours on Tuesday owing to a bomb hoax. The real story ...

Indian Airlines Delhi-Patna-Ranchi flight IC-810 was grounded in Patna for over three hours on Tuesday owing to a bomb hoax. The real story however, is the alleged role of an aide of former UP Congress chief Jagdambika Pal, who allegedly made the hoax call to delay the flight so that Pal could catch it.

Patna airport authorities said a caller from Delhi initially asked the Patna airport manager to delay the flight scheduled for 2.50 pm, so that Pal could board it for Ranchi, after reaching Patna on a Sahara flight. Pal’s Sahara flight was being delayed. The airport manager however refused to delay the IA flight.

Barely 20 minutes later, the caller who has since been identified as one Krishna Prasad, called again, this time with the message that a passenger on board IC-810 was carrying RDX. The authorities immediately sounded the alert and all passengers and luggage was offloaded.

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While this was happening, airport officials noticed that the call requesting that the flight be delayed and the hoax call were from the same Delhi mobile number. All phones at the airport have caller line identification. The Patna airport officials informed the Delhi Police of the incident. Airport officials said Krishnaprasad picked up the call when police called him in Delhi and claimed to be relative of Pal. Delhi Police is investigating the matter and an FIR was filed at the Garadanibagh police station in Patna.

As the IA flight was delayed by three hours while airport authorities conducted safety checks, Pal wanted to board it for Ranchi. The airlines however did not permit him to do so and the flight took-off at 6.30 pm.

When contacted for his comment, Pal said he had no plans at all to board the IA plane and requested a seat only when he learnt that the plane was delayed.

‘‘I do not know any Krishna Prasad at all and in any case, my plan was to travel by road to Ranchi,’’ he said. Pal was scheduled to attend a wedding in the Jharkhand capital, Ranchi.