The Nagpur police have arrested Umesh Vishnu Raut for allegedly threatening to bomb Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s residence on Wardha Road in Maharashtra’s Nagpur District. The security at the senior BJP leader’s house has been increased following the threat, which later turned out to be a hoax.
Hoax Bomb threat
According to the police, the man called up the city police control room on the emergency number 112 in the morning to issue the threat. He warned that Gadkari’s Mahal residence would be blown up within ten minutes. However, further in the investigation, police found out the number was registered in the name of Umesh Vishnu Raut, a resident of Tulsi Bagh Road, Mahal, near Beema Dawakhana, Sakkardara.
As reported by PTI, an official said, “Based on the mobile location and swift technical assistance, police detained Raut from the premises of the Vima Dawakhana. He was taken into custody for questioning and later formally placed under arrest by the crime branch.”
What did DCP Reddy say?
On this, DCP Nagpur, S Rushikesh Reddy said, “We received a call in which someone claimed they had planted a bomb in Nitin Gadkari’s home, and it was going to explode. Immediately, we activated the bomb squad and informed the home’s security. Our officers also conducted a visit. We also checked the house with the bomb squad. However, we were unable to find anything. So, we immediately understood it was a hoax call”.
DCP Reddy further added about the accused that, “He has no criminal history and no previous cases against him.” As per the media reports, the hoax bomb threat accused Raut works at a liquor shop near Medical Square and was apprehended from the Beema Dawakhana area after the threat call. However, senior officials have said that an investigation is underway to determine the motive behind the false alarm and to find out if the accused has any prior record of similar mischief.