Bomb scare: 13-year-old’s ’just for fun’ email puts Delhi airport on high alert; ‘emergency was declared,’ say police

Authorities detained a 13-year-old boy for allegedly sending an email to Delhi Airport on June 17 with a false claim that a bomb had been planted in the Dubai-bound flight, according to police statement on Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Usha Rangnani said, "The boy had sent the mail "just for fun" after being influenced by the news of another teenager who made a hoax bomb threat call a few days ago," reported PTI.

On Monday, June 17, a complaint was registered regarding a bomb threat on a Dubai-bound flight scheduled for June 18, the DCP informed PTI. The bomb threat was received at 9.30 AM, but no suspicious items were found during inspections. She added, “The airport was put on high alert, and an emergency was declared.”

Emergency was declared by the airport authorities on the day they received the email. Moreover, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport was put on high alert.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was lodged, and an investigation was launched. All the guidelines, protocols and SOPs were followed to ensure the safety and security of the passengers, the DCP said.

Following the complaint, an FIR was registered, and an investigation was launched. To ensure the safety and security of the passengers, the DCP said that all guidelines, protocols, and SOPs were adhered to.

She pointed out that the email was a hoax that was discovered during the enquiry. She said, "During the investigation, the email was found to be a hoax." Usha Rangnani revealed that the email was deleted soon after it was sent. "The email was traced at Pithoragarh in Uttaranchal," the Deputy Commissioner of Police said.

The location of the accused boy was traced and a team was sent to apprehend him for sending the hoax email.

The boy was later handed back to his parents. "The boy told the police team that his parents had given a mobile to him for study purposes through which he sent the email and later deleted his ID. He did not share any information with his parents as he was scared. He was apprehended and handed over to his parents," the DCP added.