Behind 19 bomb threats, 17-year-old’s dispute with partner, sex abuse charge

It has been a week of disruption for the Indian aviation sector following a wave of hoax bomb threats targeting multiple airlines. At least 19 such threats were issued by a 17-year-old tech-savvy boy from Chhattisgarh who wanted to take revenge on his 25-year-old business partner over a financial dispute that spiralled into accusations of harassment and sexual misconduct.
According to the minor’s mother, her son had borrowed Rs 3–5 lakh from his friend with whom he co-owned a mobile shop in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon. Their partnership soon turned sour due to alleged mental harassment and a sexual assault incident, she said.
In retaliation, the minor hacked his partner’s social media account, issued bomb threats to 19 flights and posted explicit content.
“My son had financial disputes with his 25-year-old friend with whom he was running a mobile business. They opened a shop a few months ago in a prime location in Rajnandgaon. He had borrowed Rs 3–5 lakh from his friend. However, the 25-year-old began to mentally harass him, and things escalated when my son was sexually assaulted. The police have filed an FIR under the POCSO Act,” the mother of the 17-year-old told India Today.
The family of the 25-year-old business partner, once close with the minor’s family, confirmed the strained relationship between them after the financial conflict. They also alleged the 17 year-old’s family had a history of fraudulent activities in Rajnandgaon, accusing them of duping several families in the area.
“The minor’s family had a profitable business, which is why they got in touch with us. Over time, our relationship grew stronger through business, leading to the 17-year-old developing a close friendship with my nephew. When he pitched the mobile business, my nephew decided to lend him some money. Little did he know that this would complicate our lives. They come from a small village near Rajnandgaon, and apparently, they have deceived various families there as well,” the family of 25-year-old said.
On October 14, between 1.32 am and 3.09 am, tweets tagging IndiGo and Air India were posted about bombs and terrorists on flights.
The post falsely claimed that there were bombs on IndiGo flight 6E1275 from Mumbai to Muscat and flight 6E57 from Mumbai to Jeddah. It also claimed that six kg of RDX and six terrorists were aboard Air India flight AI-119 from Mumbai to New York.
Two of the three flights were delayed, and one had to be diverted because of the threat message.
Following a tip-off from an unidentified caller, the Mumbai Police found that the threats were issued from Chhattisgarh. Investigators discovered that the minor had created fake social media accounts using the name “Fazluddin” to frame his partner due to their financial dispute. He has been sent to a remand home while further investigations continue.