Bomb Hoax: Midnight phone call sends Cops into tizzy

• Bomb squad searches Myusru Railway Station
  

Mysuru: A hoax call last midnight sent Cops into a tizzy with both the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) called in to search the premises of City Railway Station after a caller claimed that a bomb had been planted. The call was received at Railway Control Room located at the office of Railway Director General in Bengaluru at 1.50 am where a man said in Hindi that bombs have been placed at Railway Stations.

In the wake of Pulwama terror attacks by Pakistan-based militant organisation, the Railway authorities did not take the call lightly and alert was sounded across all Railway Stations in the State. Even the Mysuru Division Stations at Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and Shivamogga were searched.

Railway Safety Commissioner Kebbur told SOM that all trains and the Station, offices, escalators, toilets and ticket counters were thoroughly searched by over 50 personnel before it was declared as a hoax call. According to officials, as soon as the call was received, authorities alerted the GRP and RPF at the Station immediately.

Both teams with dog squads reached the Station along with anti-sabotage teams and started scanning the trains that had already arrived as well as incoming trains. No suspicious items were, however, found. The trains and Stations were checked, following which it was declared a hoax call.

However, security has been strengthened at the Station with a close eye being kept on all incoming trains, said a senior Railways official. Railway Police have registered a case and are tracing the phone number from which the call originated.