Court convicts man who made prank call after 2006 blasts, gives 2 months in jail

Mumbai: A magistrate court at Andheri has convicted auto-driver Nasrullah alias Afroz Shaikh for making a prank call soon after serial bomb blasts in Mumbai’s seven suburban trains in July 2006. Shaikh had called up the police emergency number of 100 to claim that there would be more blasts. Considering that he does not have a criminal background and is the sole breadwinner for his family, the court sentenced him to two months of simple imprisonment. He was also fined Rs 6,000.

The court refused to release the accused on Probation of Offenders Act saying the crime was serious because his act shook the consciousness of the society and it spread terror amongst public at large.

The prosecution case is that on July 17, 2006 an unknown person called the police control room and said there would be more bomb blasts. The phone call was traced to a hand embroidery workshop at Bandra Plot in Jogeshwari and hence Meghwadi police was asked to handle the case.

Within minutes, the police reached the said workshop and upon inquiry the owner pointed out towards an auto driver and said that that person had made the phone call. That auto driver was identified as Nasrullah Shaikh and he later confessed that he had made the call.

Since there were serial blasts in Mumbai local trains on July 11, killing and injuring hundreds of passengers, the police department swung into action to trace the caller and stop further blasts.

Magistrate A A Panchbhai held that the prosecution has proved charges against Shaikh and sentenced him to imprisonment for two months and imposed a fine of Rs 6000.