TIRUPATI: Tirupati police have launched a probe after a series of hoax bomb threats created panic in the temple city. Anonymous emails containing threats have been received repeatedly over the past three years, turning into a recurring menace.
Tirupati Superintendent of Police (SP) L Subbarayudu said an FIR has been registered and the case is being treated with the highest priority. He said miscreants are using advanced communication tools such as VPNs to evade tracking. “Spreading false information to create fear will be dealt with sternly. We will identify and arrest the culprits soon,” he told TNIE.
For the past two days, multiple anti-sabotage checks have been conducted across Tirupati, including Alipiri, Vishnu Nivasam and Nara Vari Palle, the native village of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. Bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs carried out intensive searches, but no explosives were found, confirming the threats to be false.
Authorities suspect the same group or individual may be behind earlier hoax threats to Tirupati Airport and several hotels this year. In those cases too, security forces conducted extensive checks before declaring the alerts fake.
Subbarayudu said cyber and technical teams are tracing the origin of the emails and that the National Investigation Agency has been asked for support in tracking the culprits through sophisticated VPN networks.
“We are investigating this case very seriously. Meanwhile, police have strengthened surveillance across all sensitive areas and urge the public not to panic or spread unverified information,” he said.
Reports indicate similar threats over the past three years have targeted Tamil Nadu government offices and VIPs, with Tirupati often mentioned in the messages.