Delhi-bound flight makes emergency landing in Mumbai over bomb 'threat'; passenger held for hoax alarm

Mumbai: A Delhi-bound flight of Akasa Air with 185 passengers on board made an emergency landing at the Mumbai international airport on Saturday after a passenger claimed there was a bomb on the plane, which later turned out to be a hoax, officials said, adding he has been arrested.

After taking off from Pune, a passenger, identified as Pallav Ajay Tyagi, started shouting that there was a bomb on the flight, which caused panic among passengers, a police official said.

The airline spokesperson said, 'Akasa Air flight QP 1148, flying from Pune to Delhi at 00:07 hours on Saturday and carrying 185 passengers and six crew members on board, received a security alert shortly after take-off.

'As per the safety and security procedures, the plane was diverted to Mumbai. The Captain followed all required emergency procedures and landed safely at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 00:42 hours'.

A representative from the airlines later lodged an FIR against Tyagi at the airport police station under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 506-II (Punishment for criminal intimidation) and 505-1 (b) for spreading fake messages, the police official said.

The official said security personnel conducted a thorough check of the plane after it landed but no suspicious object was found.

Tyagi, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, is prima facie mentally unstable, he added.