Mumbai: The Vile Parle police arrested a 32-year-old man for misinforming police about a terror attack in five cities of the Maharashtra.
According to the police, the arrested accused, Prasad Rasal, a resident of Pune, had given information about a hoax terror attack out of depression due to losses incurred in his business. Rasal was booked and arrested under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Police sources said on July 21, Rasal had come to the city from Pune and he approached the Mumbai police headquarters as well as Vile Parle police station, claiming he heard three men discussing a plan to conduct a terror attack in Pune, Mumbai, Nashik and Nagpur near a bus stop off the Western Express Highway.
Rasal claimed he heard the three unidentified men talking in Hindi and Urdu. A police team was immediately formed and they began investigating the claims made by Rasal.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the sequence of events stated by Rasal were all false and no such incident had occurred. On the basis of the circumstantial evidence, Rasal was arrested on the same day.
Further investigation revealed that Rasal had incurred huge losses in his business and had lied to the police for entertainment. “Rasal was a fan of crime-based television shows and had drawn inspiration from such shows and films.
On the basis of the information gathered from shows and films, he framed the sentences and misled police,” said Manjunath Singe, deputy commissioner of police (zone 8).
Rasal was booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for making, publishing or circulating any statement, rumour or report (505-2), furnishing false information (177) and giving false information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person (182).
He was produced in a local magistrate court and remanded in police custody till July 26.
