A terror threat scribbled inside a toilet at the international airport, numerous threat calls to national carrier Air India, and now a travel advisory from Australia asking its citizens to exercise caution while traveling in India — all of this has put the city and country's security agencies on their toes.
What's the speculated reason for the threats?
US president Barack Obama's planned visit to India on Republic Day, which is anyway a high alert day.
Sources said similar threat calls and intelligence inputs had increased when Obama had last visited the country in 2010.
What were the calls to AI about?
The Thane call centre of Air India received two calls on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the callers threatening to bomb an Air India plane. These calls came a day after AI's Kolkata office received a similar call, threatening to blow up the plane on Delhi-Kabul sector. Following this, security on all AI planes has been beefed up.
And what about the 'writing on the wall' in airport loo?
Airport staff found "CSIA atteck by ISIS on 10/1/2015 (sic)" scribbled on the wall of a toilet at T2 on Tuesday.
What's the suspicion?
Prima facie, investigators suspect the incident to be a prank played by somebody with the intention to cause panic.
How are agencies dealing with it?
The CISF, local police and intelligence agencies are probing the case by going through the CCTV footage and recording the statement of staffers and others.
Deputy commissioner of police (zone VIII) Virendra Mishra said, "Security at the airport has been beefed up. Although we suspect a mischief-maker behind the written message, we are not taking any chances. We have not registered any case yet. Investigations are on."
"We have not detained anybody. We will be questioning those who had been near the washroom and those who were seen entering it on Tuesday," he added.
"We are providing all assistance to the police in the investigation," said CISF spokesperson Hemendra Singh.
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