Team Herald
VASCO: A hoax bomb threat call kept the security agencies on toes, who stepped up their presence at the Margao and Vasco railway stations, on Tuesday.
The action was initiated after the office of General Manager of South West Railway in Hubli received a call at 10 am claiming that bombs have been planted in Amravati and Goa Express which were plying from Delhi to Goa. The information was passed on to the State agencies.
Amravati Express wasn’t in journey on Tuesday, but the Goa express was thoroughly checked by the security agencies during its run between Hubli and Margao.
The bomb disposal squad, anti-terrorism squad, dog squad, railway police Force and Goa Reserve Police searched the entire Margao station for suspicious objects.
According to sources, a person calling himself Shankar Joshi from Pune phoned up S K Kalal (General Manager of South Western Railway) saying that bombs have been planted in Amravati and Goa Express trains at Margao and Vasco stations.
Kalal passed on the information to the State agencies which pressed into action the bomb disposal squad, anti-terrorism squad, dog squad, railway police force and Goa Reserve Police.
The security agencies also conducted personal search of all passenger and their luggage before they could enter into railway station.
After a thorough search of Goa Express, Margao and Vasco stations and passengers, the security agencies concluded that the threat was a hoax.
Konkan Railway Public Relations Officer Baban Ghatge said that every bit of Goa Express train was swiftly checked; further, Margao and Vasco stations were also searched. However, no bomb was found, Ghatge said adding, “It was later confirmed that the call was a hoax.”
However, the security agencies are maintaining a strict vigil at the railway stations.
