Delhi: Man held for making hoax call regarding bombs placed at Jama Masjid, Red Fort
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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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
