Abandoned toolbox at Bengaluru's KR Puram metro station creates panic

Bengaluru: An abandoned black toolbox at the KR Puram metro station in eastern Bengaluru created panic for around half an hour on Wednesday, police said.

According to the police, they were alerted about the box, which was locked, at around 4 pm. The metal detectors flagged it, causing panic, officials said.

Immediately, the Mahadavapura police inspector reached the spot with his staff. As per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the bomb squad was alerted, and ambulances and the fire department were called for safety purposes.

“There was a panic for around half an hour as it is a busy Metro junction,” a police officer involved in the operation told DH. "Independence Day is nearing, and some VIP programmes are also expected in the city, hence the bomb squad and other personnel were immediately scrambled to avert any incident."

As the officials were inspecting the box with caution, Manjunath Jadhav, a technician at the aircraft wing of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), approached the police and claimed ownership of the box, which contained metal tools inside and hence was flagged by metal detectors.

“Jadhav had just returned from Haryana on Wednesday after work-related training and was going to his office to deposit the toolbox. He left it at the entrance of the metro station after he reached the city via train. He was carrying multiple bags and left the box unintentionally. After thorough verification, the toolbox was handed over to him,” a senior officer told DH.