Hoax bomb call on Republic Day creates panic in Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jan 26: A teenager was reportedly detained by the Mangaluru city police for allegedly making a hoax call at the police control room, claiming that a bomb was planted by terrorists in the city on Republic Day.

The police control room received the call at about 1 p.m. from a landline number of a shop. The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad and policemen rushed and sanitised the whole market area. After a search for nearly two hours, the call was found to be a hoax.

Meanwhile, the police team went to the grocery shop in the Kankanady market area from where the call had been made. The owner of the shop told the police that the call was made by a boy from Ullal who had come to deliver eggs.

When confronted, the boy reportedly told the shop owner that he had made the call on a casual note and ran away. The police have traced the boy in Ullal. While the boy claims to be 17, the police are verifying his school records to know whether it was true.

The Mangaluru Police Commissioner M. Chandra Sekhar said a case has been registered against the boy for a non-cognisable offence. As per law, further action against the boy will be taken as per the direction of the jurisdictional court.