Just before exams were about to begin at around 12.40pm, college received a call claiming that a explosive will go off in 15 minutes, leading to 3,500 students being immediately evacuated.
The staff members and students of TS Bafna Junior College for Girls at Malad experienced two hours of anxiety and paranoia on Thursday, as the college received a call informing that a bomb was planted in the premises where examinations were being held, only to learn later that it was a hoax.
Just before the FYJC exams were about to begin, the college received a call claiming that a bomb planted in the college would explode in 15 minutes.
The college immediately evacuated nearly 3,500 students from Arts and Commerce stream who were going to sit for their Economics paper scheduled at 1.15pm.
“Our telephone operator answered the call at around 12.40pm. The unidentified caller said that the bomb would explode in the next 15 minutes. After consulting with the staff members we immediately informed the police,” said Sunita Mehta, vice principal, who is next in charge of the college. The college is affiliated to the SNDT Women’s University.
Within ten minutes, officials of the Malad police station, along with Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) arrived at the college.
“We searched, for around one and half hours, the whole area of the college premises but we found nothing,” said police inspector Deepak Phatangare, Malad police station.
Meanwhile, the college had to cancel the exam, and a fresh date for the paper will be issued, said the college.
However, sources inside the college suspect that the call was a prank from students who wanted to miss the exams since the college has allegedly received similar calls in the past.
“We are also trying to find out if it could be someone from college who called just because he did not want to give the exam. The investigation is going on and we are trying to trace the person,” said Phatangare.
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