The agencies looking into security lapses said that there had been warnings about such an attempt a month ago.
The day after an explosive was found on board a Kingfisher flight, there was little clarity on what had happened and who was responsible. While the investigation team was grappling for answers, what emerged were theories.
Among those was this: The planting of the crude bomb on Kingfisher flight IT-4731 from Bangalore to Thiruvanathapuram was an attempt to hijack the flight. The theory suggests a Kandahar-type hijack to force the release of Indian Mujahideen extremists in Kerala jails. “The theory has gained strength as the bomb was found next to the food and beverages galley in the rear of the aircraft. The luggage in this type of aircraft (ATR) is usually next to the cockpit and accessibility is limited to those performing loading and unloading duties,” a senior intelligence bureau officer said.
“The placement of the bomb next to food trays reveals someone was assigned to threaten the crew to divert the flight to a safer place outside the country, to bargain for the release of some of the elements jailed in Kerala.” Security officials said that even caterers would be questioned.
“The hijack could not take place as it looks like an attempt made in a hurry. There was no detonator and this indicates that someone wanted to retrieve the crude bomb and hold it in the hand to threaten the crew and the airport authorities,” an official said.
The agencies looking into security lapses said that there had been warnings about such an attempt a month ago. “But nobody seems to have taken it seriously. The flight had come from Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday night and it berthed at the Bangalore airport. It then flew back on Sunday morning. The bomb may have been placed on the flight on Saturday”.
The suspects could not catch the flight for various reasons. The details of their plan will only emerged after we lay our hands on the suspects that includes the catering staff,” officers in the investigating team said.
Thiruvananthapuram police commissioner MR Ajith Kumar is believed to have got crucial details about the ‘country-made’ bomb similar to those used in the Bangalore serial blasts in July 2008 and other bomb blasts in Kerala. “It is clear from the composition of the bomb, and the way it was wrapped in a Malayalam newspaper and a question paper of a public examination conducted by the Kerala government that it was made in Kerala.
This has happened a few days after the arrest of Shammi Firos, who arrived from Abu Dhabi on March 19 at Kochi airport. Shammi, a native of Parappanangadi in Malappuram district, has been pleading [with us] to treat him as an approver in the twin blast case of Kozhikode in March 2006,” an investigating officer said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}