A British F-35B fighter jet, which made an unscheduled stop at Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Saturday, has remained grounded since then.
While authorities worked on ensuring the safe departure of the jet, one of the world's most expensive and advanced combat aircraft, multiple posts on social media claimed the British F-35B Lightning II was up for sale on OLX.
The screenshot appeared to be that of a post on OLX, and it included a picture of the F-35 fighter jet. It said the aircraft was up for sale for USD 4 million.
The viral post, however, is fake.
The post also mentioned a few of the aircraft's specifications, including automatic parking, brand-new tyres and a battery.
However, no such post was found on OLX's official website. Additionally, the items for sale on OLX from Kerala were priced in US dollars, which further suggests the post was fabricated.
When a social media user flagged the issue on X, OLX responded, saying, "Dear OLX User, We regret the inconvenience caused to you. We would quickly like to resolve this for you. Please send us an email on support@olx.in us with the complete details so that we can check further."
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is currently guarding the British F-35B fighter jet, which is part of the UK's HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, currently deployed in the Indo-Pacific region.
The carrier group recently completed joint maritime exercises with the Indian Navy.
Since its arrival, British aviation engineers have been working intensively to fix a technical snag related to the aircraft's hydraulic systems. Despite their efforts, the issue remains unresolved, delaying the fighter jet's return to its mother ship.
