Accused claims innocence in baggage fire case at Mumbai airport

The baggage caught fire (circled) while being transported to the Ethiopian Airlines flight to Addis Ababa on August 16

Claiming innocence, Samir Biswas the Kolkata resident arrested by the Sahar Police for carrying inflammable material on the flight to Addis Ababa, said that he was unaware that the contents were inflammable. Biswas told the police that he had been instructed to carry the 5-litre liquid in a plastic can and 2 kg powder to his employer Naveen Sharma in Congo. According to the sources, Biswas told the police that the person who handed over the package to him claimed the material is used in the preparation of soap. The police have now issued a look out circular against Sharma who is suspected to be in Congo.

Biswas claimed that he had participated in a video interview on July 12 this year with Sharma, who provided him with a job contract, arranged his visa and booked his tickets to Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 641. From Addis Ababa, Biswas was to proceed to Congo. According to the FIR, Biswas received a call on the eve of his journey from Vishwanath Senjundhar, also known as Vishwu Bhai, who instructed him to carry with him baggage with a liquid and powder used in soap-making and deliver them to Sharma in Congo. The package was allegedly handed over to Biswas on Senjundhar's instructions by Nandan Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav at Terminal 2 on August 16. The Yadav duo told the police that they had received the package from Suresh Singh.

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The officials found that the bag containing the inflammable materials was at the bottom of the baggage transport vehicle, and the weight of other bags placed on top of it likely triggered the fire. After the baggage caught fire while it was being transported to the flight by the bag handling staff, Biswas was deplaned and the first to be arrested. Besides Biswas, the Sahar police arrested Senjundhar, the Yadav duo and Singh in this case. Even as the Sahar police await the forensic report, mid-day has learned that the accused was carrying 5-litre liquid hydrogen peroxide and 2 kg titanium dioxide powder. The FIR revealed that the inflammable materials had the potential to damage the entire plane and endanger the lives of passengers if it had caught fire or exploded inside the aircraft. It is suspected that the hydrogen peroxide was in concentrated form, which may have caused the fire while the baggage was being transported to the aircraft by the baggage handling staff.

Officials from the Sahar police station claim they have not found any evidence of a terror angle so far. However, agencies like the Maharashtra ATS and the Intelligence Bureau are conducting parallel investigations to explore all aspects before ruling out terrorism. The officials stated that they are awaiting a report from the forensic laboratory to reach a conclusion regarding the concentration of the chemicals. The FIR claims that the accused were aware of the inflammable material's potential to cause significant damage to the plane or pose a safety risk, yet they conspired to bring it on board.

"We are awaiting forensic reports and are also investigating why the accused chose to transport these dangerous materials by air despite knowing the risks. While we haven't found a terror angle so far, we can't rule out anything at this stage," said an officer familiar with the investigation. The Sahar police have stated that they are also investigating whether an insider at the airport was involved, as it seems highly unlikely that baggage containing inflammable material could have been allowed through without detection. They are also considering the possibility of human error leading to the baggage going unnoticed.

Previously, the CISF used to inspect checked-in baggage and tag it after it passed through a metal detector, before it was sent to the airline counter for check-in. However, this system was discontinued a few years ago. "Our role is limited to verifying the passenger's ticket and ID card before they enter the airport. We also inspect their cabin baggage and conduct frisking during the security check while the passenger passes through the metal detector. However, the responsibility for checked-in baggage lies with the airport staff," said a CISF official.