A rumour of a severed head on a godown roof caused tension in Howrah’s Mullick Fatak on Wednesday. The deputy superintendent of the district police had to rush to the spot with his team to calm down those who had assembled for a look.

The rumour was started by Gopal Singh, who works in a local godown, which is next to a morgue. He said: “I had gone up to the roof on hearing a thud and saw the severed head.” When the head could not be found, the police questioned Gopal and two other men for more than an hour. The officers came to the conclusion that Gopal has psychological problems.

Howrah police chief Niraj Kumar Singh said: “Gopal told us that mysterious incidents are common at the godown.”