Chennai police are investigating a bomb threat sent via email to the PTI office in Kodambakkam, which was confirmed to be a hoax. This incident is part of a series of about 30 similar email threats received in the city over the past month, all of which have proven to be false alarms, authorities said.
The threat, directed at the country’s premier news agency, prompted an immediate response from the police.
Staff were evacuated as a precaution while a bomb detection squad and sniffer dogs conducted a thorough search of the premises. No explosives or suspicious materials were found.
Police officials revealed that the threat originated from a fake email ID and that efforts are underway to trace the sender by tracking IP addresses.
“We have received 20-30 email bomb threats in the last month, all sent from fake IDs. Our investigation is focused on identifying the source,” a senior police official told PTI.
Similar threats have been reported recently at several high-profile locations, including the office and residence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the residence of actor-politician Vijay, the BJP state headquarters Kamalalayam, and the Puthiya Thalaimurai Tamil TV channel office.
Investigations are underway in the case.