Truck driver in Pune arrested for hoax bomb call

The Pune Anti-Terrorist Cell (PATC) arrested a 39-year-old truck driver for allegedly making a hoax call to the Pune police control room an hour after Delhi high court blast on Wednesday, claiming there would be serial bomb blasts in various parts of Pune city.

The arrested suspect has been identified as Umesh Shankar Vatte, a resident of Tamhane Vasti in Chikhali.

After the call, the entire police force was pressed into action. PATC sleuths tried to trace the number, but it was not reachable.
After investigation, a team led by police inspector Sunil Tambe of PATC succeeded in arresting Vatte from Chikhali on Thursday night.

Tambe said, “The control room received a call at 11.15 am on Wednesday, exactly an hour after a bomb blast outside the Delhi high court. Vatte claimed that there would be serial bomb blasts in various parts of the city and immediately disconnected the phone.’’

“He later switched off his cellphone after he came to know that the police were trying to nab him. But as we had received his cellphone number (9175501695) on the caller ID, we found out his name and address,’’ he said.

“On Thursday night, we laid a trap near his house and arrested him. During sustained interrogation, he admitted that he had called just to have fun and wanted the police to be more alert after the blast,’’ Tambe added.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Rajesh Bansode said those who make such prank calls would be dealt with severely. The police have registered the case against him with the Bund Garden police station.