Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Saturday stated that a stun grenade was found on the Air India Aircraft, which was to operate from Jeddah to Mumbai. The minister’s remarks contradict Air India’s claims that the ‘suspicious object’ was a ‘plastic wrapper and not lethal.’
A probe has been ordered into the matter as the minister’s remarks have raised suspicion over AI’s stand, seen as an attempt to cover-up the alleged security lapse. The stun grenade found in the aircraft might have been left after a security drill carried out in the aircraft. Interestingly, the Boeing B-747 aircraft - AI 965 - was standby aircraft stationed at IGI Airport Delhi, for the use of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his US visit. The aircraft was pressed into commercial operations after PM returned back to India.
“It was a stun grenade that was left in the aircraft after the security drill. It is a failure that it was not spotted. An investigation has been ordered. We are going to investigate the failure and even the authorities at Jeddah airport are going to do the same,” Gajapati told reporters here in Delhi.
Elite National Security Guards conduct regular security drills at airports and several other sensitive locations. As confirmed by the CISF which in-charge of the airport security, NSG conducted security drills at IGI airport very recently. “We cannot tell you the exact time, location, frequency or details of our security drill. It is a matter of national security,” a senior NSG official told dna.
Meanwhile, Air India in its statement issued earlier had said, “ AI flight of 3rd October 2014 operated on the sector Mumbai-Hyderabad-Jeddah. On landing at Jeddah, cabin crew found a suspicious object and informed the concerned authorities. After screening the aircraft and the object which was found to be a plastic wrapper the Jeddah airport security cleared the aircraft for further operations thereafter.”
The statement further added that a committee comprising of its joint managing director and joint commissioner of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Civil Aviation, has been formed to investigate the incident...at no point of time was the safety of the passengers or the aircraft compromised.
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