Bomb-hoax call sends Bathinda police in a tizzy

A call the police control room (PCR) received on Wednesday evening claiming that bombs were planted at the Bathinda railway station and terrorists had entered the city sent the police in a tizzy, prompting them to launch a massive search operation.

The caller also claimed that the bombs would explode at 7pm. However, the call, received at about 6:15pm, proved only to be a hoax.

In the backdrop of the terrorist attack at Dinanagar in Gurdaspur district on Monday, the police force swung into action. A massive search operation was conducted for over two hours in and around the railway station.

“We were about to conduct routine security check in the evening when we got a call from the PCR about the bombs and we launched a search operation. Anti-sabotage teams with dog squads, metal detectors searched the trains, tracks and railway platforms. Security was also beefed up at other locations in the city,” a Government Railway Police (GRP) official said.

Bathinda senior superintendent of police (SSP) Inder Mohan Singh Bhatti said the caller has been traced to Uttar Pradesh. He said the call was made to create panic in the city but the police were prepared to react to this. The SSP conducted a meeting with police officials and briefed them about the required security. Bhatti said all cops have been asked to remain alert at the police stations.

Another meeting of officials of Bathinda zone of police was conducted by inspector general of police (IGP) Paramraj Singh Umranangal at Faridkot on Tuesday in which officials were asked to remain prepared to deal with any unlikely situation. Stress was laid on security at police stations near the international border, particularly in Fazilka and Ferozepur.