Indian-Origin Man on Trial in Spain for Making an Inappropriate Joke About a Plane

Aditya Verma, a British man, is currently facing trial in Spain for allegedly causing public disorder by making a joke about blowing up a flight. The incident occurred while he and his friends were traveling to the island of Menorca in July 2022. Mr. Verma’s comment on Snapchat before departing from Gatwick airport read, “On my way to blow up the plane (I’m a member of the Taliban).” He has stated that it was “a joke in a private group setting” and he never intended to cause public distress or harm. If found guilty, he could face substantial expenses as two Spanish Air Force jets were deployed in response to the message. The UK security services detected the message and promptly informed Spanish authorities while the easyJet plane was still airborne. It was believed that the message raised concerns after being intercepted through Gatwick’s Wi-Fi network, prompting the deployment of two Spanish F-18 fighter jets to escort the aircraft. The jets closely followed the plane until it landed in Menorca, where an extensive search was carried out. Mr. Verma, who was 18 at the time, was arrested and spent two days in police custody before being released on bail. Upon returning to the UK, he was questioned by British intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6 before returning home to Orpington, Kent.
During the court proceedings, Mr. Verma stated that the message was intended to be humorous and was sent to his friends he was traveling with on the day. He explained that it was a joke based on his physical features and was meant to elicit laughter. When asked about his reaction to the fighter jets escorting the plane, he indicated that he thought it was related to the Russia-Ukraine war and assumed it was a military exercise linked to that conflict. He mentioned that the pilot informed the passengers that the fighter jets had been scrambled due to a distress signal sent by mistake. Despite examining Mr. Verma’s phone and finding information about clashes between Pakistan and India and the potential for an Islamic State attack in that area, the police did not uncover anything linking Mr. Verma to jihadist radicalism. He is not facing terrorism charges or the prospect of imprisonment, but he could be fined up to 22,500 Euros (Rs 20,35,145) if found guilty. The Spanish defence ministry is also seeking reimbursement of 95,000 Euros (Rs 85,92,835) in expenses.

Author: OpenAI