Jilted lover brings train to halt with bomb hoax
Told Roha station manager that the woman he was spurned by was carrying a bomb.
An affair gone wrong first delayed and subsequently led to the short termination of a passenger train, sending the Railway machinery and the Raigad police into a tizzy for over four hours on Tuesday.
The Roha-Diwa passenger was scheduled to depart from Roha at 5.30 am. However, at 5.15 am, the deputy station superintendent received a call from a person calling himself Abdul Khan. He said that a woman named Harshata Mhatre, who was travelling on the train, was carrying a bomb, and that efforts should be made to detrain and arrest her.
Following the call, deputy station superintendent Chittaranjan called the Railway Protection Force who rushed a team to the station and searched the train for over two hours but found nothing.
Meanwhile, the Roha police, who also arrived at the station, tried to locate the passenger Harshata Mhatre, but found her missing, adding to the suspense. Later, with the help of her mobile number, the cops tracked her down in an ST bus on the outskirts of Roha.
Harshata was taken to the Roha Police Station where, on being questioned, she said that she had had a relationship with Abdul Khan that had turned sour. She also said that after a dispute with him, she had lodged a complaint against him at the Roha Police Station itself two months ago.
Based on their interrogation, a senior police officer told Mirror, “It appears that Khan wanted to take revenge on Harshata, and hence committed this act.”
In the meantime, the RPF had cleared the train for departure, but the Roha police officers at the station insisted that as per norms the train would depart only after the bomb detection and disposal squad of the Raigad police checks and certifies that the train is fit to be run.
This led to a further delay as the bomb squad from Alibaug had to be rushed to the spot. After the team arrived, they took over an hour to check the entire train, but no explosives were detected.
“The BDDS checked the train and issued a certificate at 9:15 am, after which the train was flagged off at 9:35 am,” a Railway official said.
“Due to the delay of four hours, however, it was decided to run the train only till Panvel, to prevent further disruptions. From Panvel, passengers were permitted to take other trains to their destinations,” the official added.
“A case has been registered against the caller named Abdul Khan under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Railways Act and the Information Technology Act,” a Roha police officer said.
Raigad Superintendent of Police Ankush Shinde confirmed that a case had been registered, and said that no arrests have been made so far.
Later in the day, another call was reported informing Western Railway officials that a bomb had been planted on the 15.20 Churchgate-Virar local. However, by then the train was reaching Vasai station where it was stopped and checked by the RPF who did not find anything.
An affair gone wrong first delayed and subsequently led to the short termination of a passenger train, sending the Railway machinery and the Raigad police into a tizzy for over four hours on Tuesday.
The Roha-Diwa passenger was scheduled to depart from Roha at 5.30 am. However, at 5.15 am, the deputy station superintendent received a call from a person calling himself Abdul Khan. He said that a woman named Harshata Mhatre, who was travelling on the train, was carrying a bomb, and that efforts should be made to detrain and arrest her.
The departure of the train was delayed by more than four hours, and while the police are investigating the call, an official claimed that it was made from Saudi Arabia.
Following the call, deputy station superintendent Chittaranjan called the Railway Protection Force who rushed a team to the station and searched the train for over two hours but found nothing.
Meanwhile, the Roha police, who also arrived at the station, tried to locate the passenger Harshata Mhatre, but found her missing, adding to the suspense. Later, with the help of her mobile number, the cops tracked her down in an ST bus on the outskirts of Roha.
Harshata was taken to the Roha Police Station where, on being questioned, she said that she had had a relationship with Abdul Khan that had turned sour. She also said that after a dispute with him, she had lodged a complaint against him at the Roha Police Station itself two months ago.
Based on their interrogation, a senior police officer told Mirror, “It appears that Khan wanted to take revenge on Harshata, and hence committed this act.”
In the meantime, the RPF had cleared the train for departure, but the Roha police officers at the station insisted that as per norms the train would depart only after the bomb detection and disposal squad of the Raigad police checks and certifies that the train is fit to be run.
This led to a further delay as the bomb squad from Alibaug had to be rushed to the spot. After the team arrived, they took over an hour to check the entire train, but no explosives were detected.
“The BDDS checked the train and issued a certificate at 9:15 am, after which the train was flagged off at 9:35 am,” a Railway official said.
“Due to the delay of four hours, however, it was decided to run the train only till Panvel, to prevent further disruptions. From Panvel, passengers were permitted to take other trains to their destinations,” the official added.
“A case has been registered against the caller named Abdul Khan under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Railways Act and the Information Technology Act,” a Roha police officer said.
Raigad Superintendent of Police Ankush Shinde confirmed that a case had been registered, and said that no arrests have been made so far.
Later in the day, another call was reported informing Western Railway officials that a bomb had been planted on the 15.20 Churchgate-Virar local. However, by then the train was reaching Vasai station where it was stopped and checked by the RPF who did not find anything.
