Date:07/11/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/11/07/stories/2009110751990600.htm

Tamil Nadu

Youth arrested

Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI: A special team of the Government Railway Police (GRP) on Thursday arrested Palaniappan (25), a resident of Kanadukathan in Sivaganga district for making a hoax call to the GRP help line on October 29 threatening that a bomb will explode in S-10 coach of the Tiruchi-Mayiladuturai Express on that day.

The team traced him using his mobile number. The phone belonged to an engineering college student in Tiruchi. Palaniappan had reportedly coaxed the student into parting with the phone on the previous day and given him the slip after the latter refused to budge to the former’s homosexual advances. During interrogation, he had confessed to have made the call to cause disrepute to the student.

Claiming to be an orphan given to wayward life, Palaniappan had admitted to have indulged in crimes since childhood. Palaniappan had also stolen 20 sovereigns of jewellery from a suitcase while travelling in the Tiruchi-Mayiladuturai Express in June. Palaniappan was remanded to judicial custody and lodged in the Tiruchi Central Prison.