A Spanish court has acquitted an Indian-British man who landed himself in trouble after he joked to friends about blowing up a flight from London Gatwick to Menorca.
If he had been found guilty, the university student faced a fine of up to €22,500 (USD 24,393) and a further €95,000 (USD 102,994) in expenses to cover the cost of the jets being scrambled, reported BBC.
The student was identified as Aditya Verma.
According to reports, he commented on Snapchat when he was on his way to the island of Menorca with friends in July 2022.
The message, sent before Verma departed Gatwick airport, read as quoted by BBC: “On my way to blow up the plane (I’m a member of the Taliban).”
During the hearing, he told the Madrid court that he never intended to cause public distress or public harm.
The UK security services reportedly flagged the information to Spanish authorities after the message was picked up by them.
A court in Madrid heard it was assumed the message triggered alarm bells after being picked up via Gatwick’s Wi-Fi network, the British media reported.
The court was informed that two Spanish F-18 fighter jets were sent to flank the aircraft after the message was received.
One of the jets followed the flight till it landed in Menorca. The plane was searched extensively there.
Verma, who was 18 at the time of the incident, was arrested.
After being kept in the police cell for two days, he was later released on bail.
British intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6 questioned him after he arrived in the UK.
He later returned to his home in Kent.