KOCHI: A gadget resembling an improvised explosive device (IED) was found on a parked two-wheeler in front of a restaurant at Kakkanad on Thursday night triggering panic among people.
Later it turned out that it was a device invented by students to identify drunk drivers.
The incident took place around 11 pm when the device containing a diode, buzzer, capacitor and pressure device was placed on a motorcycle parked in front of a restaurant on KP Kurian Road near Infopark police station.
The hotel owner who saw the device found the buzzer ticking. Soon, the police and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad were alerted.
They reached the place and checked the device to find it non-lethal.
Later, students of a nearby engineering college reached the restaurant to claim the device.
“According to the students, they invented the device to prevent drunk riding. The device is installed inside the helmet. If a rider after consuming liquor wears the helmet, it will trigger an alarm. The device fell from the helmet of a student who had reached the restaurant. However, we have registered a case and are conducting a probe,” a police officer said.