Hijack hoax sentence: New Delhi court gives Jitender Kumar Mohla life in prison
A New Delhi court has sentenced a man behind a failed hijacking hoax on a Goa-Delhi flight in 2009 to life in prison. Jitender Kumar Mohla, 45, allegedly told passengers that he had a gun and infected needles. He managed to get into the cockpit, NDTV reported.
The crew and some passengers however overpowered Mohla, and he was arrested the next day The pilot made an emergency landing and the Delhi airport was sent on hijack alert, NDTV said. However, the hijacking turned out to be a "hoax," because Mohla didn't actually have the gun or infected needles.
More from GlobalPost: When the BRICs Crumble
On Tuesday, the Indian court sentenced him to life in prison , saying it was adopting a "zero tolerance" approach to prevent similar incidents in the future, the Associated Press reported.
His family argues that the sentence is too harsh. “He is innocent. My husband Ashok Kumar Mohla is in the court right now. So, I can make no further comments on this matter,” Jitender’s mother told Indian Express. Jitender’s lawyer, Sharad Kapoor, said that the incident had been "blown out of proportion" and promises that he will appeal.
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.