Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
The story of an almost-hoax
|
Bomb hoaxes following the Mumbai rail blasts remind K.S. Someswara of another incident
|
The number of hoax bomb calls that followed the Mumbai suburban train blasts brings back memories of the time after the serial blasts of 1993. Even in that year, in spite of security agencies reassuring people, there was panic when a hoax call was made or an unattended object was found not just in Mumbai but also elsewhere in the country.
It was a hot, dry afternoon near the Manipal Centre on Dickenson Road here in Bangalore and there was an old briefcase lying on the footpath. As it was unclaimed for more than an hour, people around got suspicious and called the police. The cops promptly arrived, well supported by sniffer dogs and the bomb disposal unit.
But just as the police were about to open the briefcase, in real Bollywood style arrived a short man on an old Yezdi motorcycle. He identified himself as Muralidhara, a service engineer for photocopying machines, and he sheepishly admitted to forgetting the briefcase on the footpath.
It turned out that after finishing his work at a nearby office he was on his way to his port of call when his vehicle broke down. So, he kept the briefcase on the footpath while fixing the vehicle and after repairing he zoomed off, totally forgetting the case.
He told the suspicious cops the briefcase was his lifeline, containing the tools required for the repair of photocopying machines. It took much sweating and pleading before he could convince the lawmen who finally relented.
A local newspaper even reported this incident at that time.
The same Muralidhara periodically services the photocopiers at my office. Needless to say, he has never ever forgotten his briefcase after that.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
|
