Bomb scare throws Gurgaon out of gear

Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, December 17

Panic swept the city in the evening following reports about bombs being planted in four busy areas of city.

As the news spread, shopkeepers downed shutters, metro service was disrupted and traffic jams were seen at the busy roundabout in the city.

High drama was witnessed when Gurgaon police control room got a call around 3 pm where the caller claimed that he had planted powerful bombs in the Vyapar Kendra and Huda city centre. Within minutes, rumours spread that bombs had also been reportedly planted in the Sadar Bazar area and the Galleria market.

The police swung into action and policemen assisted by commandoes got the Huda metro station evacuated at around 4 pm. The place was searched and service could only resume after 6 pm. The commuters were asked to vacate the station, the prepaid auto booths were and the approach road was barricaded. This exercise lead to panic among city residents who initially thought it was another mock drill. The police zeroed on three cars in the parking lot but a search by the bomb squad revealed nothing suspicious.

Similarly, all shops were shut in the Vyapar Kendra and people were asked to leave the building which was then searched by the bomb squad. Though the caller had not mentioned Sadar Bazar and the Galleria market but police searched these areas also as a precautionary measure.

The three hour search at all these places revealed nothing following which the police declared it to be a hoax. “It was a hoax call but we couldn’t have taken it lightly. We are trying to track the caller who will be nabbed soon,” said Gurgaon police commissioner Navdeep Sigh Virk.