Classes must go on: 11-year-old arrested for calling in bomb hoax

Several police teams and intelligence agencies searched the school after evacuating children, but no bomb was found

MULTAN:

An 11-year-old boy was arrested on Friday after he called in a bomb hoax at his school.

Bilal Javed, a student of class six, was presented before a judicial magistrate for judicial remand along with two accomplices, including the owner of the SIM used to make the call.

An FIR was registered against them under the Telegraph Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act in Basti Malook police station against Bilal, Ramazan and Javed.

Police said the child had called the emergency number on Thursday to report that terrorists had planted a bomb in Government High School in Basti Malook. The caller had said the school should be closed immediately.

They said several police teams and intelligence agencies had searched the school after evacuating children from the school but no bomb was found.

They said after a three-hour long operation, the school was cleared and an operation was launched to find the caller.

They said the SIM was traced to a peon of the school. The boy was arrested from his house. During interrogation, the boy said that he had wanted the school to remain closed for a little longer.

“The winter break ended abruptly and it is very cold,” he said. “It is very difficult getting up early in the morning for school.”

The boy told police that many children at the school wanted more holidays. He said their parents were demanding better security around schools.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2015.