Mischief-makers misuse police hotline to settle scores

The hotline set up by the city police for citizens to call in if they have any information on four Lashkar-e-Taiba hitmen out to target certain spots in Mumbai is being misused by mischief-makers to settle personal scores.

The hotline set up by the city police for citizens to call in if they have any information on four Lashkar-e-Taiba hitmen out to target certain spots in Mumbai is being misused by mischief-makers to settle personal scores.

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The hotline was set up after the Mumbai police last week released a sketch of one of the LeT men, Walid Jinnah, and the names of three of his associates who are suspected to have sneaked into the city to target the year-end festivities.

Sources in the Mumbai police main control room said they had received several calls saying the suspects had been spotted with some individuals, whose identities were detailed.

When these people were questioned, it became apparent that they were being harassed by rivals or pranksters, sources said.

Invariably such calls were made from public telephone booths.

Joint commissioner of police, Himanshu Roy, said: “The majority of the calls were made by genuine and concerned citizens. A few calls were pranks.”

He appealed to the people to desist from such pranks.