Man arrested in Pune for making hoax calls

The Bund Garden police have arrested a 35-year-old man for allegedly making hoax threat calls to the Pune police control room claiming that bomb would explode at the Gateway of India in Mumbai, and Bandra, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Shivajinagar railway stations.

The arrested accused identified as Pravin Pandit Yeshi is a resident of Gangotri Complex, Mahadevnagar on Manjari Road in Hadapsar and works as an electrician.

According to the police, the accused dialled the Pune Police Control Room’s number on Friday at around 1:44 pm and informed them that bomb blast would take place at around 5 pm at Gateway of India in Mumbai, and Bandra, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Shivajinagar railway stations.

Police teams from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad police rushed to the spots and scanned the railway stations along with Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) but it turned out to be hoax calls.

The police registered a case against the accused under Sections 182(b), 506(2) (criminal intimidation), 505(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 507 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Later, the police traced the unknown caller and arrested him from Hadapsar on Friday evening.

Sandeepan Pawar, senior inspector, Bund Garden Police Station, “Initial probe reveals that the accused is mentally disturbed after his wife left him. His mother faces health issues. He made the hoax calls to gain attention.”

The accused was produced in court on Saturday and granted magistrate custody.