Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has acquitted Birju Salla, a Mumbai- based businessman, overturning his previous conviction by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court. The NIA court had found Salla guilty of placing a threatening note on a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Delhi on October 30, 2017, resulting in an emergency landing at Ahmedabad airport.

The ruling bench, comprised of Justice A S Supehia and Justice M R Mengdey, cleared Salla of charges due to a lack of evidence connecting him to the note discovered in the aircraft’s lavatory.

The High Court, while exonerating Salla, stated that the prosecution failed to establish beyond doubt that he was solely responsible for creating the threatening note found in the lavatory. The note claimed hijackers were on board, demanding a diversion to a specific location. The High Court acknowledged the disruptive consequences but maintained there was no solid proof of Salla’s involvement.

The court reversed a hefty fine and ordered the release of Salla’s properties. The case marked the first conviction under the Anti-Hijacking Act of 2016, which the High Court acknowledged, but ultimately ruled in favor of Salla due to lack of conclusive evidence.

During the investigation, the NIA disregarded the motive initially presented by the Gujarat police, which claimed Salla’s intention was to defame Jet Airways due to his estranged girlfriend’s association with the airline. DeshGujarat