Man charged with disorderly conduct in Ogilvie suspicious bag incident

CHICAGO (SUN TIMES MEDIA WIRE) - A Georgia man has been charged with disorderly conduct for leaving two bags near a platform at Ogilvie Transportation Center Wednesday morning, prompting an evacuation that lasted more than two hours.

Rajender Chandani, 46, was arrested about 8:20 p.m. Wednesday after Metra police officers saw him entering the station, 500 W. Madison, according to a statement from Metra.

Chandani left two bags near an information booth in the platform area after “a brief conversation with a station employee,” officials said. The employee alerted Metra Police. The Chicago Police Bomb Unit was called to the scene shortly before 10 a.m.

The Chicago Fire Department said the items inside the luggage “turned out to pose no threat.”

The bags were X-rayed and were found to contain a “cell phone and some other stuff,” CPD 1st District Cmdr. Michael Pigott said.

No trains were allowed to enter or leave the station while authorities were investigating, according to Metra spokesman Tom Miller.

Train service resumed with delays by about 12:15 p.m. and authorities began to let employees back into the building about 12:30 p.m.

Chandani, who lives in Hogansville, Georgia, was being held at the Chicago Police Department’s Central District station Thursday morning and additional charges against him were pending, Metra officials said.