Law enforcement agencies are actively pursuing all cases of bomb threats against airlines and the government is closely monitoring the situation, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Wednesday.
Against the backdrop of at least 19 flights operated by Indian carriers receiving bomb threats in three days that later turned out to be hoax, he also said the Mumbai police have arrested a minor responsible for issuing bomb threats targeting three flights.
"All others responsible for the disruptions will be identified and duly prosecuted," the minister said in a statement as he expressed deep concern over the recent disruptive acts targeting the airlines.
Condemning any attempt to compromise the safety, security and operational integrity of the aviation sector, Naidu also said that he is monitoring the situation regularly.
On Monday, Naidu chaired a high-level meeting that was attended by officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Ministry of Home Affairs and Civil Aviation.
"I assure all the stakeholders, including passengers and industry partners, that every possible effort is being made to safeguard the operations.
"We are committed to enhancing security measures and maintaining seamless coordination with global security agencies," the minister said.
Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam told a parliamentary committee that accused are being identified and action has been taken.
Vualnam suggested in the meeting of the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which is headed by Janata Dal-United MP Sanjay Jha, that investigators have gathered some information and are taking action.
They are working on a few other cases of such hoax messages, he added.
He, however, cited the sensitivity of information due to the ongoing probe into the matter to decline to share more details, sources said.
They said Jha raised the issue of the number of hoax threat calls that airlines have received in the past couple of days, leading to diversion of flights, including one bound for Chicago.
