Behind Air India hijack drama: 55-year-old man, himself a cancer survivor, who didn’t want to leave his ailing wife behind in Kolkata | Kolkata News

The man, a cancer survivor, was granted bail on health grounds

Kolkata: A new job in Mozambique was awaiting him for which he had taken a salary advance, but the prospect of boarding a flight out of Kolkata leaving behind his cancer-stricken wife apparently proved too much for the 55-year-old, himself a cancer survivor.In a desperate bid to delay his Kolkata-Mumbai Air India flight, which would subsequently lead him to miss the connecting Ethiopian Airlines flight to south-east Africa, the Khardah resident allegedly planted a handwritten hijack threat, forcing the aircraft to abort take-off and triggering a massive security drill at the airport on Wednesday.He was arrested late on Wednesday after investigators zeroed in on his handwriting. Cops, however, didn’t press for police custody and, instead, appealed for judicial custody for the man after learning about his wife’s condition. The Barrackpore court, however, granted him bail on medical groundsPolice said the accused, who has survived colon cancer, told investigators that he had second thoughts about leaving for Mozambique after boarding the aircraft.During questioning, he confessed that he had already accepted a financial advance for the overseas job and felt obliged to travel, despite not wanting to leave the country.A senior officer of Bidhannagar City Police said he had attempted to use a minor road collision on his way to the airport as an excuse to cancel the trip when he made a call to his employers, but they allegedly threatened to sue him if he didn’t report to work.“After the initial ploy failed, he resorted to leaving the note inside the terminal, assuming routine checks would delay or cancel his departure. He thought if his plan succeeded he would miss his connecting flight without triggering an immediate on-the-spot investigation,” the officer said.He told cops he had attended an interview last month with a US-based firm that has an office in Mozambique. He allegedly took an advance of Rs 1,00,000 from the company saying he was in urgent need of money. “He said he have suffered from colon cancer and bears a surgical scar on his abdomen. We are verifying his claims,” the officer said. Handwriting samples of the accused have been sent for forensic verification.Airline officials said the man was among 105 passengers on board the Air India flight that was scheduled to fly from Kolkata to Mumbai on Wednesday morning. The hijack note — found in a lavatory of the aircraft — was written behind a blank card typically found in the slots of a new wallet where debit or credit cards are kept.It was discovered just before take-off by a crew member, prompting security agencies to initiate a full-scale drill. The flight eventually took off after a delay of more than seven hours.Investigators subjected all 105 passengers and cabin crew members to handwriting tests as part of the probe. The samples were examined and three passengers whose handwriting was similar to the one in the note were questioned.Police also scrutinised CCTV footage from inside the aircraft to ascertain the movements of passengers around the time the note was planted. The focus initially fell on passengers believed to be occupying seats 17D and 14B. They had reportedly gone to the toilet after boarding the aircraft.After examining the footage and questioning the shortlisted passengers, investigators identified the occupant of 17D as the suspect. He eventually admitted to planting the note, police said.“We asked for handwriting samples and wallets from everyone on board, including the pilot… The handwriting and the debit card insert matched that of the Khardah resident, who was carrying a new wallet,” the officer said. If convicted, he will face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.