Gurugram bomb threat a hoax; call traced to autistic man

Gurugram: A 24-year-old mentally challenged man had the city police on their toes for more than an hour after he had them scampering looking for a bomb in The Leela Hotel Tuesday morning.

The caller was found to be a man with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) admitted in a hospital in Sector 47, police said.

The call sent the police in an over one-and-half-an-hour-long tizzy, during which they searched for the bomb at the hotel, in the end declaring the call a hoax.

Nothing suspicious was found in the hotel premises and the call was a hoax made by a mentally challenged man.

“An FIR is being registered against the caller and further action will be taken as per the law, said Virender Vij, DCP, east.

A call about a bomb on Tuesday sent people in panic at The Leela Hotel and police scampering to trace it.

The call was received at The Leela Hotel located in the Ambiance Mall complex around 11.35 am.

The hotel immediately informed the police, which dispatched bomb disposal and dog squads and evacuated the hotel, sources said.

A senior police officer said that mobile which was used to make the call was found switched off when they tried to callback.

They traced the mobile’s location in a hospital in Sector 47, belonging to a mental patient who is undergoing treatment.

He was found to be autistic and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Gurugram, read the official statement of Gurugram police.