Serial hoax caller behind bars, again

Check, mate: Basavaraj, in his confessional statement, said he wanted
to check how alert the airport security personnel were. Representation Pic

He had called up the Bangalore International Airport (BIA) authorities last year and made a hoax claim that there was a bomb on the premises. He went on to serve a two-month sentence. But, he repeated the prank in October to avenge the harassment he had to face while in jail and is behind bars again after his arrest on Tuesday.u00a0

Basavaraj has been working in Hebbal since 2006, taking contracts for painting buildings. He got addicted to alcohol when he came to Bangalore from Nelamangala in the outskirts of the city. Fed up with his behavior, his wife left him and went to her mother's house with their two kids.

"A lonely Basavaraj took to quarreling with people in an inebriated state. He even quarreled with policemen, leading to him being sent to jail for misbehavior in public places. That did not deter him, however, and he continued with his quarreling ways," said a police officer from the airport police station

First hoax
In November 2009, he quarreled with a man who was on his way to the airport. They got into a heated argument and the passenger hit him and informed the police. Cops took Basavaraj to the police station and warned him to stop being anti social.

This irked Basavaraj and he planned to teach the passenger and the police a lesson. He went home and called the Bangalore International Airport, claiming that a bomb had been planted there. Not wanting to take chances, the authorities informed the police, who searched the airport premises with a bomb squad and dog squad the entire night. It was finally declared a hoax call.

Investigation revealed that the number from which the call came belonged to a local payphone. The owner of the PCO provided clues to the police, which led to Basavaraj's arrest. In his confession, Basavaraj said he wanted to check how alert the airport security personnel were in the night. Court then sentenced him to a two-month jail term.

Second hoax
After his return from jail, Basavaraj took to drinking again and planned to take revenge against the police and the BIA administration for having jailed him. On October 20, he called the BIA office again and claimed to have planted a bomb.

Once again, the police were called in and the airport was sanitised. Investigation led to a mobile number. When the police called it, Basavaraj answered and even revealed his name and residential address.

The police caught Basavaraj on November 9 and were surprised to find that it was the same man they had arrested for the same offence a year back. Basavaraj told cops that his inebriated state led him to make the call and that he wanted to take revenge for being jailed. The police are now investigating whether he was involved in any of the other recent hoaxes (see box).

PI Vijaynath Suryavanshi of the International Airport station said, "It is a behavioural disorder. He makes hoax calls to the BIA in an inebriated state. We searched for bombs for twou00a0 nights. Fortunately, no flights were delayed due to his calls."

Hoax call targets

January 21: High Court April 20: Vidhana Soudha July 12: Cubbon Park police July 28: Yeshwantpur railway station August 9: Cambridge school September 5: Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa October 16: City Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari October 19: Biocon October 22: Infosys

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