Claiming he put explosives at Mangaluru Airport, man surrenders
This morning, a man identified as Aditya Rao, surrendered before Bengaluru police, claiming he put a bag of explosives at Mangaluru International Airport on Monday. Rao visited DGP's office a few hours ago and confessed that he planted a bomb inside the premises. Thereafter, he was taken to Halasurgate police station. The investigating team from Mangaluru is flying to Karnataka's capital for the probe.
On Monday, an unclaimed black laptop bag was found near the ticket counter of the airport causing panic. The "live bomb" was found around 8:45 am and quickly Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and bomb detection teams rushed to the spot. Officials cordoned off the area, shifted the bag to an isolated place, and diffused the low intensity improvised explosive device (IED).
As per India Today, the suspect carried two bags when he alighted a bus at Kenjar airport stop. Subsequently, he visited a salon, asked the staff to let him keep the bag there. Then, he hired an autorickshaw, carrying just the bag having IED. After dropping the bag at the airport, he returned to the salon to collect the other bag.
Naturally, questions were raised on security at and near the airport after the incident. However, Mangaluru Police Commissioner PS Harsha dismissed the allegations and said the bomb was found within 15 minutes and no one was hurt. The same evening, the airport was put on alert again after a hoax call was made regarding a bomb on IndiGo flight from Mangaluru to Bengaluru.
Based on CCTV footage, police concluded Rao was the suspect. The 36-year-old resident of Manipal holds an engineering and MBA degree, Deccan Herald reported. He makes hoax calls frequently as he is upset after Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru rejected his job application, the daily added. Rao, who has four cases against him, was sent to judicial custody after being arrested in 2018.
A cop privy to the investigation said Rao had promised to create havoc when he was being investigated. "We don't know when he was released, but now the only question he has to answer is why he resorted to planting explosives when he used to make only hoax calls," the officer added. Rao is also accused of stealing laptops.
