Bomb hoax at Ambala Cantt railway station

AMBALA: As the bomb scare at the Ambala Cantonment railway station turned out to be a hoax, the security agency has slapped a case against the ‘informant’ who admitted before the investigating team that he had cooked up the entire story and that “he was not in his senses”.

Security personnel check bags and other belongings at the Ambala Cantonment railway station following a bomb scare on Wednesday morning. Photo: Dev Dutt Sharma

Manish Sirhindi

Tribune News Service

Ambala, August 5

As the bomb scare at the Ambala Cantonment railway station turned out to be a hoax, the security agency has slapped a case against the ‘informant’ who admitted before the investigating team that he had cooked up the entire story and that “he was not in his senses”.

The railway station became a centre of feverish activity last night after a call from Yamunanagar alerted the security agencies of a possible sabotage of the railways station using bombs.

Hundreds of security personnel, including government railway police (GRP) and district police with bomb disposal and dog squads, reached the Ambala railway station and undertook an extensive search operations that lasted till 6 am.

It came to light that the call had been made by Surinder Kumar alias Rinku of Yamunanagar, who also reached the Ambala railway station in an inebriated state. He was frisked away by the security agencies for questioning.

Sources said Surinder, who is a labourer, initially told the investigating team that three persons had come to his house in a car and asked him to carry a bag to the Ambala Cantonment railway station. When he denied, they left his house, but he overhead them saying “bombs had been set for 5:30”. Later he backtracked and said he had cooked up the story. He said he was “not in his senses”.

Manisha Chaudary, SP, Railways, told the media that even after prolonged search operations, the security agencies had not found anything suspicious from the Ambala Cantonment railways station or its adjoining places. A case has been registered against Surinder Kumar.

Yamunanagar police conduct search

A police team led by DSP Usha searched Surinder’s house, who had allegedly made a hoax bomb threat call to the Ambala railway station early Wednesday morning. Along with Government Railway Police personnel, the team went to Surinder’s rented house at Nanda Colony of the Camp area in Yamunanagar. They recorded his wife Geeta and mother Luxmi’s statements. Meanwhile, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad of the Haryana police conducted checking of Kanwaria camps following the incident. The team checked about 11 camps situated at different places, including Thana Chhappar, Jagadhri, Yamunanagar, Kalanaur and other places. — OC