Kolkata, November 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A 56-year-old cancer patient has been arrested for allegedly planting a hoax hijack threat note on a Mumbai-bound Air India flight at Kolkata airport on November 10, triggering a major security alert and delaying the flight’s departure by around seven hours.
The accused, identified as Partha Pratim Nandi, was initially apprehended by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel deployed at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. He was subsequently handed over to the NSCBI Airport Police Station under Bidhannagar City Police.
According to police sources, Nandi allegedly confessed during interrogation to placing the threat note in the aircraft’s toilet. He reportedly told investigators that he and his wife were both suffering from cancer and that he was scheduled to travel to Mumbai before proceeding to Africa for a job.
Nandi allegedly said he was unwilling to leave his cancer-affected wife alone in Kolkata and was in a disturbed state of mind when he boarded the flight. He reportedly described these circumstances as the reason behind his action.
A Bidhannagar City Police officer said the circumstances surrounding the accused’s actions were tragic but stressed that the offence remained punishable under the law. The officer also pointed out that the incident caused considerable inconvenience to passengers, including those travelling for urgent medical appointments.
The threat was detected as the aircraft was preparing for take-off. After the pilot alerted Air Traffic Control, the flight was moved to an isolation bay and security personnel conducted a search.
The warning note, which claimed that the aircraft would be hijacked, was recovered from the plane’s toilet. The alert was subsequently found to be a hoax.
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