Kanpur (UP), Oct 17 (PTI) Panic gripped Kanpur Central railway station after a hoax bomb threat was reported on the Delhi-bound Amrapali Express, prompting the arrest of two brothers on Friday, officials said.
The reason behind their actions turned out to be their failure in finding seats on board the train, officials added.
“They said the train was full, and after an argument over seating, they made the false bomb call out of frustration,” said the SHO GRP Om Narayan Singh.
Around midnight (Thursday-Friday), a call was made to the railway helpline number claiming that “12 men in black” had boarded the Amrapali Express and planted a bomb in the general compartment, he added.
The alert triggered a swift response from the police and intelligence units, he said.
The false bomb alarm prompted the deployment of multiple agencies, including the Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), Bomb Disposal Squad, and Fire Brigade, on Thursday night, who rushed to the spot, where they launched a 40-minute-long search, with the train being checked three times. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) also joined the investigation to rule out any deeper motive behind the hoax, officials said, adding that no explosives or suspicious objects were found, and the train was cleared to depart.
Later, police investigations quickly traced the call to two brothers, Deepak Chauhan and Ankit Chauhan, residents of Ghatampur in Kanpur, who were subsequently detained from Faithfulganj on Friday afternoon, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cantonment) Aakansha Pandey.
During questioning, the duo confessed to making the false call because they were unable to find seats in the overcrowded general coach, the officer claimed.
The train was thoroughly searched, but nothing suspicious was found. “Both accused have admitted their mistake and expressed remorse. Legal proceedings are underway,” she said further. PTI COR KIS MPL MPL
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