Karnataka: Police arrest labourer for making bomb hoax call at Mangaluru airport

MANGALURU: City police on Wednesday arrested one Vasanth, a 33-year-old agricultural labourer, resident of Mudrady in Karkala taluk on charges of making a hoax call about a bomb having been planted at Mangaluru International Airport.
Seeking help from their counterparts in Udupi district, the city police nabbed Vasanth for having sent SMSes and making a phone call to former airport director M R Vasudeva and telling him about the ‘bomb’.
Incidentally, this call comes seven months after an improvised explosive device found at MIA sent security establishment – locally and nationally – into a tizzy and it was déjà vu again for the authorities on Wednesday.
Unlike what happened on January 20 when Mangaluru City Police recovered and defused the IED that the accused Aditya Rao had planted at the entrance of the departure gate, the latest bomb threat proved to be a hoax.
Drama unfolded with former airport director M R Vasudeva receiving two SMSes – Airportalli Bomb Iddhe – at 12.44pm and 12.46pm respectively. Even as a non-plussed Vasudeva was mulling his next move, the accused called and asked, “Airport Alva?” (Isn’t this the airport?)” When Vasudeva replied in the negative, the caller asked him to hang up. “Iddu, Iddu,” was the terse message from the other end, Vasudeva, recollecting the conversation, told TOI.
Given the import of the SMSes received earlier, Vasudeva called up airport director’s landline and informed V V Rao, incumbent APD after collecting his cell phone number, about the ‘bomb threat’. Rao in turn activated the bomb threat assessment committee of MIA that saw Mangaluru City Police, Aviation Security Group of CISF, responsible for airport security and other agencies at the airport activated. A thorough sweep of the airport followed.
Krishna Prakash, deputy commandant, CISF, MIA said the ASG received the message at 1.05pm. Anti-sabotage checks were carried out and entire operational area of MIA premises was swept for any possible IED or explosive, the CISF official said, adding the BTAC declared the threat non-specific after fully scouring the entire area and nothing suspicious was found. “We later learnt that the city police had detained a person around 5.15pm,” he said.
Confirming these developments, Vikash Kumar Vikash, city police commissioner told TOI that police had detained a person in connection with the hoax call and that details of the accused would be made public after basic questioning. The operations at the airport remained unaffected in the interim, Vikash Kumar said. Rao said the various security agencies concerned took the threat seriously and were relieved that the incident was a hoax.
Acting on a complaint that V V Rao filed with the city police, a case was registered at Bajpe police station, Vikash Kumar said. Vasanth was charged under sections 505 (1) (B) {spreading of false and mischievous news intended to upset the public tranquillity}, 507 {criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication} of IPC and section 3(1)(d) of Suppression of Unlawful acts against safety of Civil Aviation Act, 1982.