Blind man held for hoax call

CHENNAI: City cops, who traced a bomb threat call received at the police control room on Tuesday night to a resident of Vyasarpadi, were taken aback on finding the suspect to be visually challenged.On Tuesday, the control room (‘100’) at the Greater Chennai Police Commissionerate in Egmore received a threat call around 10.30 pm stating that a bomb would explode at the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur. After tracing the call to Shankar of Salaima Nagar in Vyasarpadi when the police went there to arrest him they found that he was visually challenged. Police sources told Express that Shankar (38) eked out his livelihood by singing in trains. His wife Revathy had left him and returned to her mother’s house in Thanjavur. Two months ago, he submitted a petition to the district SP, asking him to intervene and bring about reconciliation between them. Miffed with the cops for allegedly being unresponsive, he made the threat call. He choose the ‘Big Temple’ as his target because it was located in his wife’s native place.After seizing his cell phone, police let off Shankar only after obtaining a written assurance that he would not indulge in such activities in the future.Cop, Home Guard HeldFour persons, including a policeman and a Home Guard, were arrested on charges of extortion at Manali on Tuesday night. Sources told Express that Murugeswaran (26), who was attached to the Madhavaram Dairy Farm police station, frequently demanded money from 26-year-old A Rani (name changed), who ran a flesh trade in the locality along with another woman, Priya (name changed). On Tuesday night, Murugeswaran, along with Maheswaran, a Home Guard, Prem Kumar and Sheikh, went to Rani’s house and demanded money. Rani called the police, who arrested the quartet. Auto Driver ArrestedAuto driver Kaviarasu (30), was arrested for assaulting a traffic policeman Venkatesh (27), near Perambur flyover on Tuesday because the cop took the driver to task for traffic violation.