Click to play videoNew Delhi: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has not said that hijack attempt can't be ruled out till investigations are over in the Indigo Flight No. E- 664 emergency landing case.
The Indigo flight coming to Delhi from Goa made an emergency landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday afternoon after the pilot reported suspected hijackers on board after some passengers misbehaved.
"We don't know if it was a hijack. There were 163 passengers and six crew members. Three have been detained. We have names but unless they are interrogated and identity established we cannot release the names. All passengers are safe. They have been given refreshments and have been allowed to go home," Chidambaram said late on Sunday evening.
The Union Home Minister also revealed that three passengers have been detained.
"The behaviour of these three passengers led to a situation where the crew reported that they thought it was a potential hijack situation. The aircraft was already near Delhi and that is why they landed here. All I can say is that all the three have been detained. Two men and a woman have been detained. All other passengers are being allowed to go home. By tomorrow (Monday) we will have more details," he said
When asked if he was still not ruling out that it could have been a hijack bid, Chidambaram replied, "Well I am not ruling out anything unless the interrogation is complete. The crew reported that there could be a potential hijack situation. Therefore the drill has been followed to the letter. That is the correct thing to do."
Airport officials said on Sunday night that all the passengers and the six-member crew of Flight 6E 334 were safe.
Civil Aviation Secretary M Madhavan Namibar said that passengers who made the threat were being questioned by authorities amid reports that one of them may be in an inebriated conditions.
National Security Guard commandos and Central Industrial Security Force personnel surrounded the Airbus 320 aircraft of Indigo which was coming to Delhi from Goa and the passengers were allowed to disembark three hours after the plane made an emergency landing at 1729 hrs IST.
Aircraft operations were suspended for one hour and several aircraft which had landed delayed the disembarking process. Some incoming flights were also asked by ATC to hover over the Delhi airspace for some time.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
