Date:19/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111956511100.htm

Karnataka

Police achieve breakthrough

Staff Correspondent

Two youths held
for ‘making
hoax calls’

Belgaum: In a major breakthrough in the case related to hoax calls in Belgaum city, the Khade Bazaar police have arrested two youths in Chennai recently.

The names of the accused were given as Manjunath Basawaraj (21), a resident of Indiranagar, 1st Main, 1st Cross, Harihar, and Rakesh Ganapati Manwade (25), a resident of Somanath Apartment (Flat No.S-1), Bhagyanagar, 4th Cross, Belgaum city. Both were brought to the city, and on Monday they were produced before a court which remanded them to judicial custody.

According to Superintendent of Police Sonia Narang, the police with the help of mobile phone operators, including BSNL and Airtel, traced the mobile phone number from which the accused had made a hoax call to Pandurang Krishnaji Nagathan claiming to have planted a bomb in a house in Kelkarbag in Belgaum and advising them to vacate the house on November 6.

Investigation led the police to the accused youth who were employed with a Chennai-based call centre at Perungudi.

Following the call, Mr. Nagathan informed the Khade Bazaar police. The police and the bomb detection squad searched Mr. Nagathan’s house but found nothing there.

Mr. Nagathan received another call the same night where the accused abused him and threatened him of dire consequences if he were to inform the police again. This forced Mr. Nagathan not to reveal the second call to the police.

However, a special team was set up which successfully carried out the investigation.

Ms. Narang complimented the team members for their achievement.

The police have taken up further investigation to ascertain whether the accused were also responsible for similar hoax calls received by district courts, KLE Hospital, KLE Engineering College, St. Mary’s School and other institutions in the last one year.