Hoax call threatening to blow Patna airport sends security personnel into tizzy

There was a flurry of activity at Patna's Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport on Sunday night after authorities here received a phone call which threatened to trigger explosives. After a massive serach operation, no suspicious object was found and the threat was declared as a hoax.

Authorities at the Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport stepped up security after a call was made on a landline here in which the person claimed he is from Kolkata and that he would blow up the airport. Bomb-disposal and sniffer-dog squads were rushed to the airport and a hectic search operation was launched. Flight operations were halted as a precautionary measure which reportedly led to several delays.

Once the entire airport was comprehensively searched and no suspicious object was found, the area was deemed safe and the threat call was declared a hoax. While an FIR has been registered, a late-night emergency meeting was also held between top Patna Police officials and airport authorities in which matters related to the security of the airport and safety of passengers were discussed at length. SSP Garima Malik informed that the hoax call is being traced and the culprit will be apprehended.

It has also been reported that shortly before the hoax call was made, the airport's terminal manager had received a call in which the person at the other end tried to seek information related to the airport. The suspicious caller first claimed he was an official from the CRPF headquarter and then said he is the head of the paramilitary force. This call too is now being investigated.