Hoax call at rly station creates panic

Hoax call at rly station creates panic
DH News Service, Bangalore:


A “panicked” passenger at the city railway station took the men-in-khaki for a ride.

On Sunday evening, the fear among passengers was fresh even after several days after the Mumbai blast.
Alarmed at the sight of the Railway Police Squad conducting a regular inspection, the passenger pressed the panic button and sent out a message about a bomb being planted on the station premises. Owing to the passenger’s call, the City Police and the Railway Police and canine and bomb squads swung into action.
The visual and print media rushed to the spot.

Within minutes, calls about the rumour reached the Director General’s Office and personnel from Cottonpet Police Station rushed to the spot.

On reaching the Railway Station, too, the police personnel searched the platforms, the trains that were stationed, stalls, luggage counters, ticket counters, the porticos and every possible area on the premises. The extensive search went on till four in the evening under the supervision of Railway DIG Srinivasan and SP H S Revanna. Later the call was declared a hoax.

Irked with the hoax call that caused inconvenience to the public, DCP (West), B Shivakumar said that a case will be registered against the caller. “We will trace the caller and take appropriate action for misguiding the police and for causing inconvenience to the public. Creating such inconvenience and panic among the public is an offence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Stern action will be taken against the caller as this sort of mischief should not be repeated in future” said Shivakumar.

Whether the call was an act of mischief or panic, the police personnel were on their toes to ensure that no untoward incident occurred. However, they are also determined not to let the caller go scot-free.