British-Indian student in soup after making 'Taliban' joke to blow up plane

An Indian-origin British student has appeared in Spanish court after joking about blowing up a plane

An Indian-origin British student has appeared in Spanish court after making a joke about blowing up a plane. Aditya Verma was on a trip to Menorca with friends in July 2022 when he sent a text message claiming to be a Taliban member and threatening to blow up the plane.

"On my way to blow up the plane. I'm a member of the Taliban," read the message that Verma sent on a private Snapchat group shortly before boarding his flight from London Gatwick Airport, reported BBC.

The message was picked up by UK security services, who informed Spanish authorities. Two Spanish F-18 fighter jets were sent to flank the aircraft on which Verma was travelling. 

The aircraft was scoured after landing and Verma was arrested. He was 18 at the time, and spent two days in police custody before being released on bail.

'Just sent to my friends'

Appearing in a Spanish court on Monday for his trial, Verma said he was joking about the bomb threat. "The intention was never to cause public distress or cause public harm," he said, adding that his remarks were "a joke in a private group setting."

"It was just sent to my friends I was travelling with on the day," Verma was quoted as saying by BBC.

He claimed that calling himself Taliban was an inside joke. "I was called a Taliban at school because of my features and I used to joke about it and I know the Taliban is considered to be a terrorist group," Verma told the court.

"But I didn't think it was going to cause people on the flight to be afraid because it was sent to a private friends' group and wasn't meant for them," he added.

If found guilty, Verma faces a penalty of 22,500 pounds (over Rs 20,00,000). Spanish state prosecutors also want him to pay 9,478,247 pounds (Rs 85,00,000) for the cost of mobilising fighter jets.