Following a “Taliban” jest to blow up an aircraft, a British-Indian student is on trial in Spain

A British-Indian student is now on trial in Spain after being charged with public disturbance after making jokes about blowing up an aircraft while on a trip with his companions in a Snapchat message.

Before taking out on an easyJet flight in July 2022, Aditya Verma sent a message to his buddies on the way to the Spanish island of Menorca, saying, “On my way to blow up the plane (I’m a member of the Taliban),” according to the BBC.

While the easyJet jet was in the air, UK security services picked up Verma’s communication on the Wi-Fi network at Gatwick and reported it to Spanish police.

Verma, a Bath University economics student, said he had no desire to hurt or upset anybody in public during a trial in a Madrid court.

Two Spanish F-18 fighter planes were dispatched after officials received the menacing letter, the court was told. The BBC reports that one jet pursued the aircraft until it landed in Menorca, where it was thoroughly examined.

The 18-year-old Verma was informed in court that he had been detained for two days in a police cell before being released on bond.

The student was then returned to Orpington, Kent, after being questioned by the British intelligence services MI5 and MI6 in the UK.

Verma said on Monday during the trial that the post was “a joke in a private group setting”. The BBC cited him as stating, “It was just sent to my friends I was travelling with on the day.”

“Since school, it’s been a joke because of my features,” Verma said in response to a question about the motivation for the statement. Its only purpose was to elicit laughter.”

In response to another question about when he saw the Spanish fighter planes around his aircraft, Verma said that he thought it was a military drill associated with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Police told the court that they had inspected Verma’s phone and discovered that he had looked up incidents involving India and Pakistan as well as the likelihood of an assault in that region by the terrorist organization Islamic State. Officials, however, were unable to discover any connection between Verma and extremist Islamist ideology.

The adolescent may be fined 22,500 euros (about Rs. 20.35 lakh) if proven guilty, although there are no allegations of terrorism or jail against him.

Additionally, the Spanish Ministry of Defence is requesting 95,000 euros, or Rs 85.94 lakh, in costs.

The court informed the BBC that a decision on Verma’s case is anticipated within the next three days.