Drunk cook’s bomb hoax keeps police busy for 12 hrs

The Tardeo police said, at around 8pm on Saturday, the control room got a call from a person, claiming that he suspected that some anti-social elements wanted to plant bombs at the Mahalaxmi Race Course

Mumbai: A 35-year-old inebriated cook on Saturday night sent the Mumbai police on a wild goose chase by sending a message to the control room that some anti-social elements were planning to plant bombs at the Mahalaxmi Race Course.

After checking everything, when the team did not find anything suspicious, they started tracing the accused. (HT)

The bomb detection and disposal squad of the Mumbai police was then compelled to conduct a thorough search at the race course only to find out later that it was a hoax call. The police traced the caller and found that he had made the call under the influence of liquor and he had lost his job a day earlier.

The Tardeo police said, at around 8pm on Saturday, the control room got a call from a person, claiming that he suspected that some anti-social elements wanted to plant bombs at the Mahalaxmi Race Course.

“After receiving the information from the Mumbai police control room, we immediately started work on the case, considering the gravity of the information. Later, we found that the caller had switched off his phone after the call,” said a police officer from Tardeo police station.

“The police team immediately informed the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS). A team of BDDS along with a dog squad checked the gates especially 3 to 7 and even checked the Mahalaxmi station road,” said senior police inspector, Vivek Shende, of Tardeo police station.

After checking everything, when the team did not find anything suspicious, they started tracing the accused.

“As the phone of the accused was switched off, we found his last location which was Dadar. We obtained his called detail record (CDR) and called the most called number which turned out to be the brother of the suspect. The brother, Chhotu Yadav, who works in Pune informed his brother Ranjit Kumar alias Krishna Devchand Yadav, 35, stays in Mariyam Nagar in Worli and has the habit of drinking alcohol,” said an officer from Tardeo police station.

“We traced the accused Yadav from his residence when he returned home. He told us that he had lost his job on Thursday. He made the calls after getting drunk. In the past as well, he played such mischiefs with police but this time, he spoke about the bomb and we traced him,” said a police officer.

The police said they have booked Yadav under section 182 (false information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 505 (1) (B) statements conducting to public mischief and 506 (2) punishment for criminal intimidation.