By Jennifer Popplewell • Published: 16 Jan 2024 • 23:43
The young man being arrested by local Spanish police. Credit: Facebook
Aditya Verma, a British chess prodigy who made a joke stating: “I’m Taliban” has now been summoned to court in Madrid to stand trial for his reckless actions.
Gifted student Aditya Verma, aged 20, said he’d put a bomb on an easyJet flight from the UK to Menorca, adding that he is part of the Taliban. He now faces a £100,000 bill in fines and compensation by the Spanish court, as he is being charged with a public order offence.
Verma is a former star pupil at St Olave’s Grammar School in Orpington in Kent, and was embarking on a fun-filled graduation trip with friends to Menorca in the summer of 2022. Using the social media platform Snapchat he wrote to his companions that: ‘I’m going to blow this plane up. I’m a Taliban.’, just before the aircraft took off from Gatwick airport on July 3.
This message was picked up by their mobiles on Gatwick airport’s Wi-Fi servers and immediately triggered alarm bells with security because of the sensitive and potentially life threatening words used.
As soon as the plane landed at its destination, armed policemen were there to meet Aditya and took him away in handcuffs. He then spent two nights in police custody before being presented in front of a judge.
He was released on £8,600 bail and told he was free to leave Spain, but informed that he would continue to be investigated by the Audiencia Nacional.
Since arriving home, Verma has told local news outlets that he regrets his reckless actions, stating that: “It was a moment of madness which I regret and I’m so sorry for the trouble I caused. It was a joke and I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sorry for ruining my friends’ holiday but it was all just a joke and I didn’t mean to scare anyone on the plane if they were frightened by what happened. I thought as it was a private Snapchat that just my friends would see it.”
Verma is currently studying economics at Bath University, and although Spanish authorities have confirmed that they are not seeking a prison sentence, his future will surely look very different if he is convicted of the crime.
Many people, including the 20 year old’s family, friends and teachers have defended him, expressing that ‘they know he is not a terrorist’. Verma publicly stated that: “I won’t be doing anything silly again. I’ve learned my lesson.”
However, former Marbella police officer, Juan Liñan, told Euro Weekly News that the defendant is “old enough to know better”, adding that “he now needs to learn that there are consequences to actions, and that terrorism is something he should not joke about. What if one of those rescue jets had crashed? His joke could have cost lives”.
His fate at his trial on Monday, January 22 2024, will be decided by a single professional judge and not a jury.
So, what is the public’s verdict? An innocent joke that spiralled out of control, or a young man that should have known better, and should be punished for his stupidity?
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Jennifer is a proud northerner from Sheffield, England, who is currently living in Spain. She loves swimming in rivers, talking to the stars and eating luxurious chocolate.
deport him to Spain and put him in Prison with a minimum term of 15 years.
Britain is far too lenient and Spain far too harsh. Ultimately, the authorities must take these threats seriously; it would be unforgivable if they erred on the side of caution and lives were lost as a result. However, young people need to be educated about how social media works. The vast majority of people believe no one is listening in on their “private” conversations, whereas the truth is “trigger words” do exist, and rightly so. It’s painful for those family and friends of, Aditya Verma, but the sad truth is that “ISIS” has already proclaimed that they have and will continue to use youths, who have been brain-washed and indoctrinated, to commit terrorism in western states. From your own archives: https://euroweeklynews.com/2022/01/22/islamic-state-proclaims-it-will-use-child-soldiers-to-retake-spain-and-portugal/
What terrorist sends a snapchat to his mates to announce that he’s going to blow up a place, and adds in brackets at the end (I’m a Taliban). Any security service who views that as a credible threat needs to be sacked. To boot, you’ll probably find his mates replied with something like LOL or ROFL.
A 1203 rank isn’t a prodigy. 😂 What’s the RSS paying to clean his image?
He should be put bars and his links should be investigated. It is not correct to leave spain in two days, why? He is matured person and understands the fallout of such threats.
Terrorism is no joke. A ‘prodigy’ and 20, he knows better. He probably is being groomed for terrorists acts. Jailed. No trial. The west are wimps. We will lose this war… and we are at war.
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