This story of an Indian origin boy who joked about being ‘with Taliban’ shows how being subjected to racism and your response to it can land you in huge trouble. In 2022, an Indian origin boy was arrested after he made a joke in a private Snapchat group about blowing up a plane and being a member of Taliban.
The court has finally acquitted him of creating public disorder in the case. In his case, the accused claimed that in school, he was called Taliban because of his features. As response to subtle acts of racism are dealt with, it became an inside joke and he addressed himself as Taliban.
The UK secret services picked up on the message and raised a threat alert to alarm the authorities. As a response, two fighter jets were sent to escort the plane until it landed. The boy who was 18 at the time was arrested after the landing.
The young man was finally acquitted and walked without being penalized as the court believed his story. He would have had to pay more than ₹1 crore in fines if he had been found guilty.
