Mau (Uttar Pradesh): A bomb threat call triggered panic and heightened security measures at Mau railway station on Tuesday after an unidentified caller claimed that the Kashi Express travelling from Gorakhpur to Mumbai was carrying an explosive. After a thorough inspection, police confirmed that no suspicious object was found on the train.
Mau Superintendent of Police Elamaran said the alert was received at around 9.30 am, following which swift action was taken by local police along with the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF). Security personnel were already positioned at Mau railway station when the train arrived.
As a precautionary measure, passengers were asked to deboard the train and move to a safe area while a joint team conducted a detailed search of all coaches. “After a complete check of the train, nothing suspicious has been recovered so far,” the SP told reporters.
He added that preliminary analysis suggests the threat call was made using an internet-based service. Police surveillance teams are now working to trace the origin of the call and identify the person behind it.
Chief Ticket Inspector at Mau railway station, Ram Yadav, said the train was halted on police instructions and passengers were kept in the waiting area during the inspection. A bomb disposal squad was also involved in checking the coaches to rule out any risk.
Passengers travelling on the train said they were asked to wait for over an hour as security checks continued. Railway authorities later allowed normal movement after the train was declared safe.
Police have termed the incident a suspected hoax but said a detailed investigation is underway to prevent similar threats in the future.
