Vistara passenger arrested at Delhi airport after he mentions ‘bomb’ on phone call

A male passenger onboard a Vistara flight to Dubai was arrested at the Delhi airport on June 7 after a woman co-passenger complained that she overheard the man mention a bomb over a phone call. The man, identified as Azeem Khan, hails from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. 

Khan was travelling onboard Vistara Airlines flight UK-941, going from Delhi to Dubai via Mumbai, ANI reported. The flight was scheduled to depart at 4.55 pm, according to a senior official.

When onboard, a woman co-passenger claimed that she heard Khan mention the word ‘bomb’ over a phone call.

"[the] CISF removed coconut from my bag fearing it could be a bomb but allowed guthkha (tobacco product) that was in my bag," Khan had reportedly said. 

"The passenger, who was travelling to Dubai for a job, was talking to his mother on the phone and the conversation was overheard by a lady co-passenger sitting next to him. He told his mother that CISF did not allow a coconut in his bag fearing it could be a bomb but they allowed pan masala that was kept in his bag," the senior official informed.

Upon hearing the word, the woman immediately raised the alarm, and Khan was taken off the plane. The woman disembarked voluntarily as well. 

Following the alarm and complaint, Khan was handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and was arrested by the police. The plane was thoroughly searched, delaying the flight by two hours. 

"In the process, the flight was delayed for two hours before it got clearance to take off. The male passenger was handed over to IGI police," the official said.

The Delhi police conducted an investigation but found nothing. 

Despite the thorough checking of the plane, the woman refused to board the plane and booked another ticket to Mumbai.