Bengaluru: A bomb blast call that sent police in four southern states into a tizzy turned out to be a hoax call made by a drunk ex-Army man, police sources said on Saturday.
The caller, Sundar Murthy, a 60-year-old man, was arrested for raising the false alarm, officials said. Murthy reportedly called up a police control room in Bengaluru to alert them about 19 militants currently holed up in Tamil Nadu who were planning to bomb cities, trains and buses in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The police immediately put the states on high alert. Meanwhile, investigators traced the call to Avalahalli and arrested Murthym, who had served in the Army for 20 years before becoming a truck driver. Murthy was arrested Saturday for allegedly raising the false alarm, the police said. He called the police control room in Bengaluru on Friday night and said 19 terrorists were holed up in a town in Tamil Nadu and were set to bomb cities, trains and buses in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Following the call, the police swung into action. The city police also traced the caller. Interrogation revealed that he made the call allegedly in an inebriated state.
“During interrogation, he told us that he gets possessed by some divine souls who make prophecies in his vision and his call was based on one such vision," said Additional Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar. The fact is that he is a drunkard, said the police officer.
Murthy told the police that he is an ex-serviceman, who now drives a lorry. His two sons are serving in the Army, while he is staying with his third son at Avalahalli.
A threat call to bomb the Pamban sea bridge in Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram was also received on Friday, prompting the police to carry out extensive searches.
Recently, Bengaluru Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar had convened a meeting with heads of various temples and religious places and managers of commercial establishments to take extra precautions and alert the police on finding anything suspicious.
Many religious organisations have decided to increase security at places of worship, especially those that attract crowds
– PTI
