13-year-old behind hoax threat mail to Delhi Airport, says did it 'for fun'

A 13-year-old boy in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, sent bomb threat email 'just for fun' after seeing media coverage of a similar incident

A 13-year-old boy has been identified as the sender of a threat email to Delhi Airport on June 4, claiming that an Air Canada flight (AC43) en route from Delhi to Toronto had a bomb on board, Delhi Police said on Tuesday.

The threat was eventually determined to be a hoax.

During the investigation, police discovered that the email used for the threat had been created just an hour before it was sent.

The email originated from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. When police conducted a search operation in Meerut, they found that a 13-year-old boy was responsible for the email. The boy told police that he got the idea after seeing media coverage of a bomb threat for a Mumbai flight, police said.

The police investigation revealed that the minor wanted to see if the police could trace his email. He admitted to making the threat ‘for fun’.

According to police, the child created a fake email ID on his phone and used his mother’s phone to access the internet and send the email.

“After sending the email, he deleted it. The next morning, he saw on TV that news about a bomb threat at the Delhi airport was being broadcast. Upon seeing the news, he got scared and did not tell his family members,” said Usha Rangnani, deputy commissioner of police, IGI Airport.

“The police have seized the child’s phone and are counselling him. The child was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and then handed back to his parents,” she added.

On June 4, an Air Canada flight en route from Delhi to Toronto received a bomb threat email.

The flight, which was scheduled to take off around 10.50 pm that day, was moved to an isolation bay. A necessary aircraft screening process was also conducted to ensure the safety of passengers.