Mumbai: Habitual offender held for Grand Hyatt hoax bomb call

The Vakola police on Friday arrested the suspect behind the hoax call to the control room about a bomb planted at Grand Hyatt hotel. The police and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) squad searched the premises for several hours and found nothing. The hotel was finally declared safe.

The man was tracked using his mobile location and identified as Suraj Jadhav, 30, from Kalina. The police said he was drunk when he made the threat call. He was arrested in a similar crime by the Vakola and BKC police stations in April this year, where he had threatened to bomb Mumbai University.

On Tuesday, another caller had threatened to blow up Infinity Mall in Andheri, PVR Mall in Juhu and a hotel near the airport. Security was enhanced in the area and a team of Sahar Airport Police, Juhu and Amboli and Bangur Nagar police stations, along with the CISF and BDDS, was deployed. After screening these places, on Thursday, the police declared it as a hoax call and the Azad Maidan police registered an FIR in the case.

Pertaining to these frequent hoax bomb threats, a statement was issued by the Mumbai police on Friday, requesting citizens to not fall prey to rumours regarding bomb threats.

As per a police statement, there is no such situation regarding bomb threats and citizens are requested to not fall prey to rumours. “Such fake calls are being made mischievously with the aim of creating fear and this type of situation does not exist in Mumbai. Also, all measures have been taken for security by the police,” the statement reiterated.