Flying bomb scare: Delhi Police writes to social media platforms seeking details of the perpetrators

Intensifying its investigation into the fake bomb threats received on several domestic and international flights, Delhi Police on Thursday wrote to social media platforms seeking details of the accounts that had posted threatening messages.

The Delhi Police on Wednesday registered an FIR in connection with the bomb threat against a Bengaluru-bound Akasa Air flight carrying 180 people and also launched an investigation into seven other similar cases at Indira airport this month Gandhi International (IGI) were reported.

A senior police official said a special team had been formed to investigate cases of bomb threats. A team from Delhi Police’s cyber unit, Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO), has also been roped in for the investigation.

On Wednesday, police reached out to social media platforms to block the users who posted threatening messages and remove the posts.

“It is suspected that the handler used a VPN (virtual private network) or dark web browser to set up the accounts on X and then posted the messages from more than one account,” the official said.

“To get the IP addresses, we have written to the social media platform,” the official said, adding that they have also contacted Mumbai Police as they have also registered an FIR in the matter.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani said on Wednesday: “Airport police have responded to eight incidents of reported bomb threats this month. After thorough reviews and inspections, all threats were confirmed to be hoaxes.”

Legal action has been taken against those responsible for these false alarms to take strict action against them and ensure the safety of passengers and airport operations, she said.