Bomb on Kingfisher plane a result of internal rivalry: Cops

A day after the discovery of a crude bomb on board a Bengaluru-Thiruvananthapuram Kingfisher flight exposed the glaring lapses in security, the police are now considering the possibility of the incident being an 'in-house job'.

"Preliminary investigations have revealed that there are several unregistered unions within the company which are trying to get the better of each other. There have been certain issues pertaining to transfers which have led to a cold war. Our initial probe suggests that the bomb could have been placed in a bid to embarrass the company," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Bangalore North) Basavaraj Malagatti.

Meanwhile, the Central Industrial Security Force, which is in charge of maintaining security at airports,  continues to blame the airline for the lapse, claiming it was the responsibility of Kingfisher personnel to screen the baggage at the departure lounge, before the passengers board the plane.

Kingfisher has retaliated by pointing out that the airline did not have a cargo hold and the cargo compartment is located between the cockpit and the passenger's cabin, and hence it should have been the responsibility of the airport operators to check it.

According to the police, each department responsible for airport security is conducting an individual inquiry into the matter. The security breach, which has embarrassed the airport authorities and Kingfisher airlines equally, appears to be a result of internal rivalry between the unions.