Dummy stun grenade found on PM’s standby plane

A dummy stun grenade was found onboard an Air India Boeing 747 aircraft, one of two standby planes for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent US visit. As it turned out, the fake grenade had been used by the National Security Guard (NSG) for an ‘aircraft intervention drill’ a day after the Prime Minister’s departure, when the plane was released for commercial use and flown to Mumbai.

But given that such a lapse took place on an aircraft that was to serve as a replacement for Air India One if the need arose, the incident has exposed a gaping hole in the country’s aviation safety.

After its release to Air India on September 25, the double-decker plane flew on the Mumbai-Hyderabad-Jeddah route on Friday and landed in the Saudi Arabian city early Saturday, when the discovery was made by cabin crew. Air India has suspended some officials in this connection.