Overview
- Airport police in Bengaluru arrested a 65-year-old Dutch national of Indian origin, an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder, after linking him by CCTV to a parcel sent in January to Kempegowda International Airport’s administrative office.
- The package contained rotten tomatoes, decaying flower garlands, iron pieces, a toothpaste cover, and obscene photographs, which baffled airport staff.
- Following weeks of internal review, airport officials filed a complaint on March 4, prompting investigators to analyze footage and track the suspect to the Madiwala area near a temple.
- He has been remanded to judicial custody and booked under the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act, 2017, with police seeking a court-ordered mental-health examination.
- The suspect told officers the parcel was a ritual to prevent mishaps and claimed he mailed similar packages to other airports, a claim investigators say they are still verifying.