22-yr-old man held for hoax call to NSG about chemical attack

Upon realising that Kashinath Mandal was the phone’s owner, we apprehended him. SURYAKANT BANGAR, senior police inspector, DB Marg

MUMBAI: The Mumbai police have booked a 22-year-old man for allegedly making a hoax call to the National Security Guard (NSG) control room regarding a chemical attack on Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi.

The arrested accused, identified as Kashinath Mandal, is a resident of Grant Road and does odd jobs for a living. He was produced before a court and remanded in police custody on Saturday.

Mandal placed the call from his mobile phone on Friday and was prepared to leave for Delhi thereafter. He was traced using the number through which he made the call, said a police officer from the DB Marg police station.

“After the call on Friday, the caller was located at Mumbai Central railway station and a trap was laid,” said a police officer.

Suryakant Bangar, senior police inspector, DB Marg police station, said, “When we reached the railway station, we dialled the the mobile number. On realising that Mandal was the owner of the phone, we apprehended him.”

Mandal said that he had lost a friend in the Maoist attacks last month and wanted to approach the PM to ask for justice. He added that he had made several attempts to reach the PM, but was not able to get access to him.

“We are investigating from where he got the number of the NSG control room,” Bangar said.