Representative image

MUMBAI: A “suicide bomber” joke at the Mumbai international airport has landed an Ahmedabad businessman behind behind bars. If convicted, Atul Patel (35) faces up to six years in prison.

Patel, who was on his way to Dubai for a business meeting, allegedly told a CISF official at the international airport’s security checkpoint around 10.30pm on Friday that he was a “suicide bomber” and asked the official to check him quickly.

Security was immediately tightened at the airport as the joke came a day after the airport received a mail that said explosives were being loaded on three flights, including the Air India Boeing 777 that was forced to land in London.

Businessman faces up to 6 years in jail for ‘bomb’ remark

CISF officials examined Patel, who owns a travel agency, for an hour and handed him over to the police after no explosive was found. “His baggage was removed from the screening machine and checked thoroughly. When the CISF asked him to give in writing what he told them, he wrote on a piece of paper, ‘I am a suicide bomber, mujhe jaldi check kar lo (Check me quickly)’,” said an officer of Sahar police station. “He did not explain why he did this,” the officer added.

Patel has been booked under IPC sections 505 (1) (rumour to intent cause fear) and 506 (criminal intimidation), which provide for maximum six years in jail. He was produced before a local court, which remanded him in police custody till July 1.

The Sahar police had just the previous day (June 27) slapped the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for the first time against unknown persons for sending a bomb scare mail to the Mumbai airport. The email had said that three flights were laden with explosives.

The Air India flight from Mumbai to Newark (US) with 327 passengers was flying over Ireland on Thursday, when the airline messaged its pilots about the threat from a sender, who claimed to be from an anti-Israel terror outfit. “The source of the mail is unknown. Cyber police are working to retrieve the internet protocol (IP) address,” said an officer of Sahar police station.



In Video: Ahmedabad businessman jailed for suicide bomber joke at Mumbai airport