Man admits to making hoax call to publicise film script

A 22-year-old Gujarat-based man sent the Mumbai police into a tizzy after giving fake “information” to a local TV channel about “overhearing” a bomb-blast plot. The news rattled the city police with immediate instructions to local police stations to maintain a vigil. However, the caller admitted to the hoax to this correspondent on phone, saying that he wanted to garner attention and that he had been working on a movie script that he has been trying to interest Bollywood biggies in. The man identified himself as 22-year-old Sandeep Patel from Bhuj. According to sources in the city police, he called a leading Hindi news channel and informed them about unintentionally overhearing six persons in a Gujarat-bound train talking about carrying out a bomb blast in Bandra. “The information soon reached the State Intelligence Department (SID). SID chief additional DG K.L. Prasad immediately intimated commissioner Satyapal Singh and the input percolated down to joint CP (law and order) Sadanand Date and through him to the two DCPs, one regional additional CP and police stations in the western region. We received instructions to remain vigilant,” said a police officer, who did not wish to be identified. Police stations in the western region then went into an overdrive by keeping a watch on all crowded areas, with focus being on the Bandra area. Patel first said his friend, who had been using his cellphone, made the phone call. He then changed his claim, saying someone played a prank using his lost sim card, which he had accidentally dropped on the road. On being pointed out the discrepancies, he admitted that he had made the fake call himself. “I have a story for a Bollywood movie and tried to meet Salman and Shah Rukh Khan. It did not work out. I wanted some producer or director to take note of the story and therefore made the phone call. It was a mistake and will not happen again,” he said. Patel said he lives in Bhuj and studies engineering. Mr Date confirmed receiving the alert and intimating all police stations and other departments to act on the same but refused to comment. He also did not respond when asked for his reaction on the revelation. Dr Singh and Mr Prasad were unavailable for comment. Officers were also unavailable to respond as to whether action had been taken against the hoax caller. PI Mukund Pawar, who heads the Cyber Crime Investigation Cell, which normally investigates such cases, was unavailable for comment despite attempts.