‘Railway attack’ prank proves costly for Goa resident

Mumbai: A Goa resident who tried to prank his friend, a petroleum company executive, with messages about planning of attack on railways proved costly as he was booked by the Kanjurmarg police on Thursday.

According to the police, the man, who was learning Urdu and had purchased a new SIM card, wanted to prank his friend, Sagar Molawade, 32, a resident of Kranti Nagar, Bhandup East and sent him several WhatsApp messages using his new number.

Molawade, who worked with J P Petroleum Limited in Andheri, was checking WhatsApp at home when he received suspicious messages from an unknown number.

“The messages said that the plan is for tomorrow at 9 pm. The whole train will be jam-packed and our plan will be executed hopefully. The messages further said after the work is done, everybody will get down, take a goods train and will switch off the phones,” a police officer said.

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Meanwhile, Molawade blocked the unknown number. Yadav later understood his mistake and tried calling Molawade, but could not reach him. By then Molawade had reported the matter to the police.

Molawade immediately approached the police and based on his complaint a case was registered under section 505 (public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.

The police also informed the railway authorities about the suspicious messages and suggested taking precautions.

The crime branch and local police traced the sender to North Goa. “We detained one person identified as Ramesh Kumar Dharmaraj Yadav, 32. Molawade and Yadav have worked together in a company a year ago. Later, Yadav shifted to Goa and settled there, and purchased a new SIM card so he wanted to prank Molawade,” DCP Zone VII, Purshottam Karad, said.

“We are bringing Yadav to Mumbai and will again question him in detail,” Karad added.