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.

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“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.