Aditya Verma, a university student, faced a Madrid court on Monday concerning a Snapchat comment he made in July 2022 while en route to Menorca with friends. The message, sent before

departing Gatwick airport, stated, "On my way to blow up the plane (I'm a member of the Taliban)." Mr. Verma claimed in court that his intention was never to cause public distress or harm.

If found guilty, the 18-year-old student could face substantial expenses after his message prompted the scrambling of two Spanish Air Force jets. UK security services flagged the message to Spanish authorities while the easyJet plane was still airborne, assumedly triggered via Gatwick's Wi-Fi network.

Two Spanish F-18 fighter jets flanked the aircraft until it landed in Menorca, where an extensive search was conducted. Mr. Verma, arrested at the time, spent two days in a police cell before being released on bail. Upon returning to the UK, he was questioned by MI5 and MI6.

In court, Mr. Verma, now studying economics at Bath University, insisted that the message was a "joke in a private group setting" meant for friends traveling with him. Pressed about its purpose, he explained that, due to his features, such jokes had been common since school, intended solely for humor.

When asked about seeing the fighter jets, Mr. Verma thought it was a military exercise related to the Russia-Ukraine war. The pilot later announced to passengers that the fighter jets were scrambled due to a mistaken distress signal.

Although police experts found that Mr. Verma had researched clashes between Pakistan and India and the possibilities of an Islamic State attack, they found nothing linking him to jihadist radicalism. While not facing terrorism charges or jail time, Mr. Verma could be fined up to €22,500 (£19,300), and the Spanish defence ministry is seeking €95,000 in expenses. Photo by LCPL. John McGarity, Wikimedia commons.