A dummy bomb, the kind that is used as a prop in movies, was found in a dustbin near the Infiniti Mall in Andheri, triggering a massive bomb scare on Wednesday. The news spread like the proverbial wildfire across the city, even as officers from different agencies rushed to the spot to investigate.
According to police sources, the Mumbai police’s control room received a call at around 11.30 am on Wednesday from some people who saw the object dumped in the dustbin.
The callers described the object as a “bomb with four sticks of explosives tied together to a device that resembled a detonator,” the police said.
The information was relayed to the Amboli police and a team was rushed to the spot, while the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad was also informed about it. The BDDS too dispatched a team as the local police cordoned off the area around the dustbin.
However, even before the police could confirm or deny any danger from the object, text messages started circulating among Mumbaikars. The messages originated from Andheri, but people in other areas soon picked up reports after watching television reports. “Inform your close ones to come back home as soon as possible,” the messages said.
After a two-hour examination, during which time the area was evacuated and officials from the crime branch and the Anti-Terrorism Squad also reached the spot, the police finally confirmed that the object was a dummy bomb that is used as a prop in movies.
“The ‘explosive sticks’ were actually made of aluminium and filled with powdered wood. There was no explosive material in the device anywhere,” said an officer with the Amboli police.