A British-Bharat student, Aditya Verma, is currently on trial in Madrid, Spain, accused of public disorder after sending a Snapchat message joking about blowing up a plane. The incident occurred in July 2022 when Verma, along with friends, was on their way to Spain’s Menorca island on an easyJet flight. The message, which read, “On my way to blow up the plane (I’m a member of the Taliban),” was detected by UK security agencies on Gatwick’s Wi-Fi network, prompting them to alert Spanish authorities while the plane was airborne.
Verma, an 18-year-old economics student at Bath University, asserted during the trial that he had no intention of causing harm or distress. Spanish authorities, responding to the threat, scrambled two F-18 fighter jets. One of the jets trailed the easyJet plane until it landed in Menorca, where an extensive search was conducted.
The student was subsequently arrested, spending two days in a police cell before being released on bail. Verma was later questioned by British intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6 in the UK and was sent back to Orpington, Kent.
In his defense, Verma claimed that the message was meant as a joke within a private group setting among friends he was traveling with that day. He insisted it was intended to be humorous and not a serious threat.
During the trial, Verma revealed that he thought the presence of Spanish fighter jets was part of a military exercise related to the Russia-Ukraine war. However, he denied any knowledge of the seriousness of the situation.
Police informed the court that Verma’s phone was searched, revealing he had researched clashes between Bharat and Pakistan and the possibility of an attack by the Islamic State in the region. However, no evidence linking Verma to jihadist radicalism was found.
Although Verma is not facing terrorism or imprisonment charges, he could be fined 22,500 euros (Rs 20.35 lakh) if found guilty. The Spanish Defence Ministry is also seeking 95,000 euros (Rs 85.94 lakh) in expenses related to the incident. A verdict in Verma’s case is expected in the coming days, according to the court.
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