Authorities at IGI airport in this city went into a frenzy after receiving a phone call from a person alleging that a bomb had been installed on an IndiGo flight headed for Patna, but it turned out to be a hoax, apparently perpetrated by a passenger who was running late to board the aircraft.
Sources said that at around midday, a call was made to the Delhi Police control room stating that there was a bomb on an IndiGo flight headed for Patna (6E-178).
At 12.15 PM, the 138-passenger flight was supposed to take off. Police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) acted immediately after receiving the information.
They said that once all passengers had been deplaned, the bomb disposal team was called in and the aircraft was flown to a distant berth.
However, despite a two-hour search, no bomb was discovered. According to the sources, the call was ruled a hoax and the aircraft was deemed safe.
The call was later identified as coming from an IndiGo passenger named Pramod who had purchased a ticket but was reportedly running late. They claimed that he called from the Delhi Cantonment region intending to postpone the takeoff.
According to the sources, police were looking for him.
The flight finally took off at 3.40 PM after being delayed for more than three and a half hours.
All passengers were safely deboarded from a Delhi-bound IndiGo flight (6e 2126) at Patna airport after information was received of a bomb in the flight. Bomb squad & police at the spot, plane being checked. Further details shall follow pic.twitter.com/9JFgLo2Rq5
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2022
