Hoax Bomb Threat Causes Emergency Landing of Kolkata-Bound IndiGo Flight at Raipur Airport

A bomb threat that caused a Kolkata-bound IndiGo flight to make an emergency landing at Raipur airport on Thursday morning was later determined to be a hoax.

After a thorough security check and over three hours of investigation by authorities and a bomb squad, nothing suspicious was found on the plane. The flight was cleared to continue its journey to Kolkata.

The incident began when a passenger, 40-year-old Nilesh Mandal, informed a crew member that there was dynamite on board the aircraft.

In response to the threat, the flight was diverted to Raipur.

Mandal, who was also on the flight, is currently being interrogated at the local Mana police station, said Santosh Singh, the Senior Superintendent of Police in Raipur.

The Raipur police have filed an FIR based on a complaint from the airport authorities. Mandal has been taken into custody and will be presented in court later today.

This hoax bomb threat is part of a troubling trend, with over 400 flights—both domestic and international—receiving similar false threats since last month.

Most of these threats have been made through social media.