Abandoned toolbox at K.R. Puram Metro Station in Bengaluru creates panic

An abandoned toolbox belonging to a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) employee that he left behind by mistake, at the K.R. Puram Metro Station in Bengaluru triggered panic for sometime on Wednesday.

A few commuters noticed the bag and alerted the metro security who rushed to the spot and checked it using a metal detector, which triggered a red flag.

Soon, the police were alerted, who, along with the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad and a fire tender and cordoned off the area. They checked the bag and confirmed it to be a hoax.

Meanwhile, the HAL employee, identified as Manjunath Jadhav, a technician at the Aircraft Wing of HAL, returned to the spot and told the police that the box belonged to him and had left it by mistake.

Inquiries revealed that Manjunath had gone to Haryana for training and returned to the city on Wednesday. He had carried around four to five bags and travelled in the metro to reach home. He mistakenly left behind the toolbox. But he later realised it and returned to collect the same. After verifying his claim, the police let him go after a warning to be careful.

However, tension prevailed at the metro station for over half an hour. The police responded with alacrity as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit Bengaluru to flag off the Yellow Line of Namma Metro on August 10 and the incident comes ahead of Independence Day.