Unemployed man held for hoax bomb call in Kovai

ERODE: A 34-year-old unemployed man from Coimbatore was arrested on Sunday for making a hoax bomb threat a few days ago that explosions would take place at the railway station and main bus stand in Erode, police said.

Upon his arrest, the man had apparently told the police that he was struggling to make ends meet and rang up the authorities with a plan that he would get regular food once put behind bars for the crime.

According to police, they had received a phone call a couple of days back at the Police Control Room, Chennai which in turn alerted the Erode police to tighten security measures at the main bus stand, railway station and the shopping markets in the town.

The Erode police conducted thorough checking at Erode railway station, Erode Municipal Corporation Bus stand and the bazaar area but found nothing and termed it as only a hoax threat. Upon verifying the call records, police found the caller was one Santhosh Kumar, a resident of Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district.

On Saturday night, Erode police arrested Kumar and interrogated him.

Police said the man had made the call as he is unemployed and struggling in life. If he was arrested and sent to prison for making the hoax call, he would be able to get food every day inside the jail, they said quoting Kumar, who had stated that he had made similar hoax calls in 2019 and 2021.

A case was registered against him under Indian Penal Code Sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication).

After his statement was recorded, Kumar was brought before a judicial magistrate on Sunday, which remanded in judicial custody for 15 days.