Irked over delay in check-in period, woman makes hoax bomb claim in Kochi airport; detained by police

Kochi: A hoax bomb claim on Tuesday by a woman airline passenger, who was irritated by the time taken for check-in process at Cochin International Airport here, led to her being detained by the police and also delaying a Mumbai-bound flight in which she was to travel by around an hour, airport sources said.

The woman was handed over to police which said it was in the process of lodging a complaint against the woman who was travelling with a family member.

The incident occurred during the check-in process for a Kochi-Mumbai flight that was scheduled to take off around 6 am, the airport sources said.

The woman, irritated by the prolonged time being taken, said there was a bomb in her baggage that led to the luggage screening process being intensified and as a result delayed the scheduled departure of the flight in which she was to travel by around an hour, the sources said.

An officer of Nedumbassery police station, in whose custody the woman is at present, said they were in the process of recording her statement and lodging an FIR against her and thereafter, her arrest would be recorded.