Belagavi police have registered a case against a 31-year-old man for allegedly making a false ‘rape and murder’ call to the emergency helpline 112, triggering an unnecessary police response in the city.
Officials said the accused, Shivanand Parashuram Koppalkar, a resident of Nehru Nagar in Dharwad district, contacted the Police Control Room on the evening of February 4 and claimed that a serious crime had occurred at a lodge under the limits of the Udyambag Police Station.
Following the alert, personnel from the Hoysala patrol unit attached to the Udyambag station rushed to the location. However, they found that no such incident had taken place.
Later, a case was registered against the caller under Sections 217 (providing false information to a public servant), 212 (knowingly giving false information), and 248 (making false allegations with intent to cause harm) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, after obtaining court approval.
Police stated that the accused was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the call. Since the offence initially fell under the non-cognisable category, he was not arrested immediately. An NCR (Non-Cognisable Report) was filed, and a notice was served on him on February 5. After receiving court permission, the case was formally registered.
Officials also said the accused works in tile fittings and frequently travels between Dharwad and Belagavi, making trips every few weeks or months. On the day of the incident, he allegedly visited a wine shop before making the false call.
Police warned that misuse of emergency services is a punishable offence and said such actions waste resources and affect responses to genuine emergencies. Further investigation is ongoing.
