The man who made a crank call at the Police Control Room on Sunday threatening to shoot dead Chief Minister Narendra Modi, has been identified as an ex-Army personnel.

The police said Mohammed Hussain Samiullah Ansari, an Ex-General Duty (GD) jawan, is “schizophrenic” and had made the call because he wanted the police to help him.

The 37-year-old had called up at the city PCR at 8:18 am claiming that he was on a mission to assassinate Modi. The call was made from Ansari’s mobile phone, which the police tracked down later at night. The Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) arrested Ansari from his residence in the Gomtipur area and handed him over to the Madhavpura police.

Ansari has been booked on charges of criminal intimidation and further investigations are on.

Ansari had served the Indian Army for over six years and was dismissed from duty in 2004 on grounds of mental ailment. “His dismissal certificate states that Ansari is schizophrenic and unfit for duty,” said Investigating Officer Inspector D G Gohil.

Gohil said that after being dismissed, Ansari returned to Ahmedabad, where he has been staying with his third wife and a son from his second wife.

“Now a tailor by profession, Ansari is deeply attached to a Sufi saint, whose dargah is situated near the Chartoda cemetery in Gomtipur,” Gohil added.

Investigations further revealed that Ansari had recently constructed a wall around the shrine.

“Other locals were against it and had razed a portion of the wall. There used to be constant quarrels over the issue, and Ansari used to feel ostracised,” Gohil said.

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