In a bizarre twist, the “bomb” placed in a house in Punjab’s Bahawalpur district for Rs2 million ransom turned out to be fake, as the device was actually filled with sand.

 

Media reports quoted police officials as saying that one Munawar, who works in construction in the Government Cooperative Housing Colony area of the city, received an anonymous letter that a “bomb” had been placed inside his house.

 

The letter, police said, was also a ransom note as it included unidentified persons’ demand of Rs2 million in the name of Taliban. The letter further instructed that ransom be paid through a domestic worker.

 

After receiving information about the bomb, officials said, all relevant departments, including police, Civil Defence and Bomb Disposal Squad, were mobilised. However, upon inspection of the device, the bomb turned out to be fake as it had no explosive material.

 

According to police, it was filled only with sand and had a digital screen attached to it.

 

Law enforcement agencies have taken the fake bomb into custody and launched further investigation, reports said.