Bomb hoax at Koregaon Park in Pune

A green Santro (DN09 B 2030) parked for a long time near a petrol pump on Tuesday morning in Koregaon Park area triggered panic, as residents apprehended that explosives could be placed in the car.

The petrol pump is owned by a relative of state cooperative minister, Harshwardhan Patil.

The police control room received a call in the morning from a traffic constable, who was posted at the chowk near the petrol pump, that an unknown car was stationed near the petrol pump for a long time.

Immediately, the bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) rushed to the spot and took the car to an open space near the Circuit House.

The BDDS and Bund Garden police personnel checked the car, only to find a bag containing some clothes and few CDs. The police are trying to ascertain the identity of the car owner.

Ankush Jagtap, manager of the pump said, “In the morning, a traffic constable asked our employees to remove the car, which was parked near the petrol pump. Our employees told him that the car did not belong to them. After that, the constable informed the control room.’’

He said 12 CCTV cameras have been installed on the premises. Police inspector Sudhakar Kate of Bund Garden police station said  “We presume the car was parked last night and we are trying to trace its owner.”

A blast at the German Bakery on February 13 last year killed 17 people and injured 60 others. The Pune police was also alerted by intelligence agencies about a possible terror strike in the city during the just concluded Ganesh festival.