British-Indian student Aditya Verma on trial in Spain over Taliban joke

British-Indian student Aditya Verma is on trial in Spain after, in July 2022, he wrote a "hilarious" message to his pals on Menorca island claiming he was a "member of Taliban" and that he was on his way to blow up a plane.

Verma is not being charged with terrorism or facing jail time; nonetheless, if proven guilty, he could be fined 22,500 euros (about INR20.35 lakh).

While the easyJet plane was in the air, UK security services picked up Verma's message on the Wi-Fi network at Gatwick and reported it to Spanish police.

Verma stated he had no desire to hurt or upset anyone in public during a trial in a Madrid court.

Two Spanish F-18 fighter jets were scrambled after officials received the menacing letter, the court was informed. The BBC reports that one jet pursued the aircraft until it landed in Menorca, where it was thoroughly examined.

The 18-year-old Verma was told in court that he had been detained for two days in a police cell before being released on bond.

The student was then returned to Orpington, Kent, after being questioned by the British intelligence services MI5 and MI6 in the UK.

During the trial, Verma on Monday said the message was "a joke in a private group setting". "It was just sent to my friends I was travelling with on the day," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.