Antonio remanded in judicial custody till April 5

Barrackpore, Mar 22 (UNI) The Mexican passenger of IC 854, arrested in Kolkata yesterday, was today remanded to judicial custody by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate for 14 days under different sections of Indian Penal Code.

He was arrested for unlawful activities against safety of civil aviation act in addition to Sections 323, 506 and 507.

Febles Ortiz Eduardo Antonio(47) was carrying a passport issued by Union of Mexicanos.

The Magistrate called for a case diary to be produced before him on March 28. However, there was no defence lawyer. Assistant Public Prosecutor Himangshu Bhattacharyya prayed for police custody.

E Antonio in an inebriated state yesterday threatened to blow up the Delhi-bound aircraft forcing the commander to make an emergency landing at the NSCBI airport.

According to an Indian spokesperson, the foreigner punched a fellow passenger and also misbehaved with others, including the cabin crew. When the cabin crew tried to overpower him he claimed there was a bomb under his seat and it would explode.

The commander of the aircraft, carrying 82 passengers, took off from Swarnabhoomi airport in Bangkok to Delhi, sensing a " threat perception" asked the Air Traffic Control for permission to make an emergency landing.

The foreigner was searched but nothing incriminating was found on him, an airport official stated. He was later arrested.

UNI