VADODARA: Two men were arrested for allegedly acting suspiciously and attempting to bribe two mall employees to store a bag, an act that led to to the mall being evacuated and bomb detection and disposal squad being called in, a senior official said on Monday.
Sagar Thakkar and Jignesh Bariya, who were arrested in the early hours of Monday, have told police they carried out the act for fun, Vadodara Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot said.
"They went to a crowded mall on Ajwa-Waghodiya road late Sunday evening and tried to hand over a bag to two mall employees, including a woman, and offered them Rs 50,000 to place it somewhere inside. The staff refused," he said.
The employees alerted the mall authorities about the incident who then called the police, a team of which arrived with the BDDS in tow, he said.
"The mall had to be evacuated and searches had to be carried out. We also scoured CCTV footage through which we zeroed in on Thakkar and Bariya. The bag did not contain anything suspicious," the top cop said.
"The two have told us they did it for fun. We have charged them under IPC for furnishing false information and creating panic among people. Further probe is being carried out by Bipod police," he said.