'Bomb call' to college turns hoax

Anonymous caller warns of exploding the institution on Dewan's Road

Tension prevailed for sometime, on Saturday, as an anonymous person warned of exploding an educational institution on Dewan’s Road in the city.

The classes were on at Lakshmi Hayagreeva Educational Institution, comprising PU and degree colleges, when the telephone at the office of Manager Shankar Narayan Rao rang at 1.20 pm. The office assistant Dhanalakshmi, who received the call, got a threat from the caller, who broke that “An RDX bomb has been planted in the college and it will explode at 3.30 pm. Rush out immediately.”

In no time, Dhanalakshmi informed the authorities at the college, who in turn intimated jurisdictional Lakshmipuram police. Soon, the classes were called off. The police personnel, along with bomb detection squad, comprising a sniffer dog and other equipment, rushed to the spot immediately. After throughly inspecting the exterior and interior of the college for two hours, the call turned out to be hoax.

The institution has a total of 350 students and the classes had started as usual at 9 am. It was for the second time, the college was witness to a near horrific situation, after a similar call was received three years ago. However, the police personnel failed to trace the caller in that case.

According to managing trustee of the institution R Srinivas, the institution has its branches in Mysuru and Melukote and has been maintaining a cordial relationship with everybody. However, it was unfortunate that such threat calls are being received, he added.

ACP (Krishnaraja sub-division) C Mallik advised the management to take up security measures by installing CCTV cameras, hiring the services of security guards and maintaining a visitors book at the entrance.