Chennai police are investigating a bomb threat emailed to the Press Trust of India (PTI) office in Kodambakkam, which was confirmed to be a hoax. The incident is one of approximately 30 similar email threats received across the city in the past month, all of which have been verified as false alarms, according to authorities.

Police response and investigation

The threat, targeting the country’s premier news agency, triggered an immediate response from the police. Staff at the PTI office were evacuated as a precautionary measure, and a bomb detection squad, along with sniffer dogs, conducted a thorough search of the premises.

No explosives or suspicious materials were found. Police officials stated that the threat originated from a fake email ID, and efforts are ongoing to trace the sender by tracking IP addresses. A senior police official told PTI, “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.”

Pattern of threats

This incident follows a series of similar hoax threats targeting high-profile locations in Chennai, including the office and residence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, the residence of actor-politician Vijay, the BJP state headquarters Kamalalayam, and the Puthiya Thalaimurai Tamil TV channel office. Investigations into these cases are also underway, with authorities working to identify the perpetrators behind this wave of false threats.