Kochi: An electronic device kept inside a helmet and left outside a restaurant near Kakkanad Infopark here created panic in the area after it started making a ‘beeping’ sound. It led to the bomb squad being called and it in turn found that the device was not an explosive, police said on Friday.

The incident occurred around 11 pm on Thursday when one of the patrons of the restaurant found a helmet in a bag atop his bike.

He approached the eatery owner to ask whom the bag and helmet belonged to and at that moment a beep sound began emanating from it, police told a TV channel here.

“It created panic among the people present at the time and they called the police. Thereafter, the bomb squad arrived and they found that there were no explosives in it,” an officer of Infopark police station said.

He said that the bag and device may have been left there inadvertently or to create panic or it may be a trial run also prior to planting of a real explosive.

“Anything is possible. We have to first find out who kept it there. Thereafter, we will be able to find out the purpose behind it,” the officer said.