Two men from Gujarat, who were in Bangalore to buy a flat, were mistaken for terror suspects and hunted down by the city police.
After two days of intensive search operations, the two were caught and grilled for a whole day before being given a clean chit.
The police termed the exercise as a “false alarm”.
‘Suspicious’
The two, who are running an educational institute in Gujarat, came here
on Sunday and went around in a Nano looking for a hotel, police sources
said. This attracted the suspicion of some citizens, who called the
police to say “terrorists were planning to target hotels”.
The police sounded a red alert, barricading sensitive areas and upping
security around major hotels and commercial establishments. The city’s
entry/exit routes sealed.
The grey car was finally intercepted on Mysore Road on Tuesday, and the
occupants detained for questioning. “After a through enquiry, we found
they were innocent,” a police official said.
Alert citizens praised
Police Commissioner B.G. Jyoti Prakash Mirji appreciated the informants.
“I’m happy about the alertness and concern of the people who informed
us. I am also happy with the police action.”
He added that the mobile phones, laptops and email IDs of the two were
verified before they were given a clean chit. “We have not made any
arrest nor seized any property nor booked any case.” The police
conducted a thorough search with dog squads and bomb disposal squads
despite knowing that it could be a hoax call. “We acted swiftly on the
information and carried out the operations to verify facts.”
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/flat-buyers-from-gujarat-trigger-terror-alert/article4827677.ece
