NEW DELHI: A 28-year-old man from Pilibhit in UP was taken into custody from a Mumbai-bound flight from IGI Airport and arrested for a brief period after he mentioned to his uncle on phone that a dried coconut he was carrying had been confiscated as the security officials thought it could be a bomb.On hearing the word bomb, a woman co-passenger immediately alerted the flight crew, who in turn called in the CISF.The man, Azeem Khan, was handed over toDelhi Police and a case registered against him.

He was later allowed to go but he missed his flight to Dubai, where he was going for a job.It is learnt that the woman, a Mumbai-based model, who had alerted the crew CISF refused to board the aircraft after it was cleared for take-off two hours later following a thorough check.Senior Delhi Police officials said words such as “bomb” and “explosives” should not be uttered at the airport as they create panic.The bomb hoax incident took place on Wednesday on a Vistara flight UK941 (Delhi to Mumbai).

Khan was travelling to Dubai via a connecting flight from Mumbai.01:20Upset over being asked to pay excess baggage fee, woman flyer cries 'bomb' at Mumbai airportDevesh Mahla, DCP, Airport said, “A case under section 268 (public nuisance) and 341 (wrongful restraint) was registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Khan was arrested.

The aircraft was thoroughly checked but nothing was found.”Police said Khan was going to Dubai for a job.

After he boarded his flight, he was heard telling his maternal uncle on phone the dried coconut was removed from his bag as officials said it wasn’t allowed as per norms because of suspicion that such an item could be a bomb, but the pan masala he was carrying was allowed.Both Khan and the woman passenger who alerted the crew on hearing the word “bomb” were asked to deboard by CISF personnel.

Khan was interrogated by the police and intelligence agencies who did not find anything suspicious and allowed him to go.CISF officials said any material that has a hard surface is not permitted in the aircraft and hence it was removed.

TOI reached out to Vistara airlines who refused to comment on the incident.