New Delhi: The Gujarati jeweller who was detained on Monday for allegedly planting a note about hijackers and a bomb in the toilet of a Mumbai-Delhi Jet Airways flight, was reportedly a repeat offender. Birju Kishore Salla, who is in his late 30s usually travelled business class and seemingly had a grudge against the Jet Airways.
In an earlier trip, he had carried a cockroach and blamed the airline. He was let off by the airline then on an assurance that he would not repeat the offence.
"Salla was detained by police after preliminary investigation... It was revealed that Salla had put the threat letter in the plane's washroom. We will take necessary action against him," added an Ahmedabad Police official.
Along with a statutory criminal action against Salla, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that he was advising airlines to put him on the no-fly list immediately.
Flight 9W 339, which had taken off from Mumbai at 2.55 am with 115 passengers and seven crew members, was diverted to Ahmedabad airport around 3.45 am "following declaration of an emergency as per established security procedures, due to the detection of an onboard security threat.
After receving the note, all passengers were deplaned and screened. They were profiled, their photographs taken and personal details sought, including their last overseas visit.
Giving details of what had happened, Ahmedabad Airport Director Manoj Gangal added that the flight was allowed to make an emergency landing on the pilot's request. "The pilot requested the ATC to make an emergency landing as he suspected that some hijackers as well as explosives were on board. The flight later left for its destination after a thorough investigation by the police," Gangal said.
The threat note had a para in Urdu on the top and English at the bottom. "Flight No 9W 339 is covered by Hijackers and aircraft should not be land and flown straight to POK. 12 people on board. If you put landing gear you will hear the noise of people dying. Dont take it as a joke. Cargo area contains explosive bomb and wl blast if you land Delhi (sic)," it said.
