A 19-year-old B.Com student from Goa has been arrested for making a hoax call to Delhi Police warning them of a terror attack on US President Barack Obama. He also threatened that there was a plot to kill Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
The youth, from a south Goa district, made the call to the Delhi Police control room around 7 am on Wednesday saying that he has recorded a conversation of terrorists plotting an attack on Obama during his upcoming India visit, Superintendent of Police (South) Shekhar Prabhudesai said.
According to police sources, the youth "did it to get publicity" and was upset for not being able to take part in the Republic Day parade. The law enforcement agencies in Delhi swung into action after getting the call and they traced it to south Goa's Cuncolim village, 45 kms from Panaji. The youth is identified as Nasti Coutinho, resident of Cuncolim village.
A college student, the youth was picked up based on the cellphone call details by Cuncolim Police. They interrogated him in the presence of senior officers who had rushed to the village from Panaji.
During interrogation, he initially stood by his story but later "confessed that he did it to get publicity", Prabhudesai said, adding that subsequently he was arrested last night. The youth would be produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Margao town.