Bangalore: In a new twist to hoax calls that delayed seven international flights from here and Delhi airports, a city-based executive has been arrested with the suspect confessing he did it to get his friend into trouble as he was infatuated with his wife.
Giving a sinister turn, the 37-year old executive also allegedly revealed during interrogation that he had fatally assaulted his wife here in July and made it appear an accidental death, police said.
The executive, Gokul Machery, working with a private firm had sent WhatsApp messages on Saturday after procuring a SIM based on the identity of his friend, police said.
He wanted the police to initiate an inquiry against his friend and defame him so that he could get closer to his wife, police said. Both lived in the same apartment complex.
In his messages to the Kempegowda International Airport here, he had claimed that bombs been planted in three international flights. Security checks were carried out leading to the delay of the flights.
KIA Terminal Manager on duty had received messages on Whatssapp from a local mobile number, threatening to blast three flights with specific details besides the airport cargo section.
The threat that also mentioned about “Islamic state wins” and “get ready to see the firework above sea today,” had created a scare at the KIA.
As the threat was specific in nature pertaining to the flights Lufthansas (LH-755) and Saudi Arabiain Airlines (SV-5643), the two flights which were on the ground were immediately vacated and thoroughly checked and cleared to fly subsequently, police said.
However, one flight of Air France (AF-191) which had already taken off an hour back was called back, passengers de-boarded and the whole flight was thoroughly checked before it was cleared to fly again.
During questioning, Gokul also confessed that he had murdered his wife in July, police said. He had bought liquor which his wife had consumed and after a verbal argument regarding shifting back to Delhi, he pushed and assaulted her with a blunt weapon causing her death, they said.
Later, Gokul informed his neighbours his wife was consuming alcohol and he fell asleep and later found his wife dead. He claimed that she slipped and hit her head on the TV stand accidentally.
Police had then registered a case of unnatural death at Madiwala Police station.
PTI