A Bangalore-bound train was delayed for almost three hours following a hoax call that a bomb had been planted inside one of the coaches, on Sunday.

Hampi Express, originating from Hubli, had crossed Annigeri station of Dharwad district at around 5 pm, when the Secunderabad zonal railway control room received the hoax call.
The caller claimed that the bomb will explode at 10.30 pm, an official said.

The railway controller who received the call flashed an alert message across all stations and the train was flagged down at Gadag, where the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Central Railway Protection Force (CRPF) personnel alighted the passengers and cordoned off the station. The bomb squad and the sniffer dogs were immediately pressed into service and an intensive search was conducted.

Security stepped up

However, by late night, the security squads which had conducted repeated searches declared it a hoax call.

The passengers who were till then stranded at the station were allowed to resume their journey.

But due to security concerns, the train was escorted by 12 police personnel and it was again checked at Koppal, Hospet and Bellary stations, according to Gadag SP Sharanappa.

The train was delayed by nearly two hours due to the hoax call.

According to the police, the call originated from Pavagad of Tumkur district.

Sources in the police said that a person had been picked in connection with the
hoax call and was being questioned.