New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI): A 38-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly making a hoax call regarding bombs planted at the Jama Masjid and the Red Fort under the influence of alcohol, police said on Thursday.
Accused Asif made the threat call from a mobile phone he had found in Uttrakhand's Roorkee and used a lost SIM card in an attempt to evade identification, they added.
On April 10, a call was received on emergency helpline number 112, claiming that bombs were planted at the two prominent locations, following which a case under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at the Jama Masjid police station, a senior police officer said.
Investigators used digital forensics, technical surveillance, IMEI tracking, call detail records (CDRs) and CCTV analysis to identify the source, he added.
The mobile number was traced to a man named Saddam from Ghaziabad, who had reported that his phone was lost in Kaler, Roorkee, on April 6. Further surveillance led police to Asif, who had found the phone and was using it. He had since vacated his Karawal Nagar residence.
After extensive efforts, the accused was apprehended near the Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital around 11 pm on April 14. During interrogation, he confessed to making the hoax call from the Paharganj area under the influence of alcohol, the officer said.
He later broke the SIM card and disposed it of to cover his tracks, he said, adding that the mobile phone used in the offence has been seized.
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Bengaluru: The Vartha Bharati–Sankalp election analysis has shown a high level of accuracy in predicting the outcome of the recent Karnataka Assembly by-elections held in May 2026, correctly calling winners in both constituencies and closely estimating vote share trends.
The by-elections were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, drawing significant political attention as both seats were seen as key tests for the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.
According to the analysis, Vartha Bharati–Sankalp had made three major projections ahead of the results the winning party, vote share percentages, and margin of victory.
In both constituencies, the platform accurately predicted that the Congress would emerge victorious. The outcome matched the projections, with Congress candidates winning in Bagalkot and Davanagere South.
In terms of vote share, the predictions were largely in line with the final results. In Bagalkot, the BJP’s vote share was forecast in the range of 40 to 46 per cent, while the actual figure stood at 42.9 per cent. The Congress vote share, however, exceeded expectations, with the party securing 55.4 per cent against a projected range of 43 to 48 per cent.
The margin of victory in Bagalkot turned out to be significantly higher than anticipated. While the projection had placed the margin between 2,000 and 3,500 votes, the final margin was around 22,332 votes.
In Davanagere South, the predictions also remained largely accurate. The Congress vote share was projected between 43 and 51 per cent, and the final figure stood at 43.9 per cent. The BJP was expected to secure between 42 and 50 per cent but ended with 40.3 per cent.
The analysis had also identified the role of SDPI as a potential spoiler in the constituency. While its vote share was estimated around 6 per cent, the party eventually secured around 12 per cent of the vote.
The margin of victory in Davanagere South was predicted to be between 1,500 and 2,600 votes. The actual margin was higher at around 5,708 votes, though the contest remained relatively close as anticipated.
Overall, the performance of Vartha Bharati–Sankalp stood out for correctly identifying the winning parties in both seats and maintaining close accuracy in vote share estimates, with only limited deviations in specific cases.
