Chennai, June 10 (IANS) A bomb threat to the residence of AIADMK General Secretary and Tamil Nadu’s Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) here on Tuesday triggered a high alert before authorities declared it to be a hoax.

Police sources said that the threat was communicated via email to Palaniswami’s residence on Greenways Road, a high-security area that houses several senior political leaders and government officials.

The email, containing a vague warning of an imminent explosion, prompted immediate action from the Chennai city police.

Following the alert, a bomb disposal squad, along with a dog squad and a team of forensic experts, was rushed to the premises.

A thorough search operation was carried out across the property, during which all rooms, vehicles, and surrounding areas were carefully scanned. The police later confirmed that no explosives were found, and the email threat was declared a hoax.

Senior officers from the Greater Chennai Police, including officials from the cybercrime wing, have launched an investigation to trace the origin of the email. Preliminary efforts are underway to identify the IP address and server used to dispatch the message.

This is not the first such incident targeting the AIADMK leader. Last month, a similar bomb threat was issued to Palaniswami’s residence in Salem, his hometown and political stronghold. That threat also turned out to be a false alarm, but it raised concerns about repeated attempts to disrupt his personal security.

Speaking to the media, senior AIADMK leaders condemned the incident, calling it a deliberate act of intimidation aimed at creating fear. They demanded swift action to bring the culprits to justice.

Meanwhile, the police have assured heightened security around the residences of prominent political leaders in light of the recent threats. Cyber forensic experts are now analysing the digital trail left by the anonymous sender to prevent such threats in the future. Authorities have reiterated that strict legal action will be taken against individuals found guilty of issuing false threats that disrupt public peace and waste critical law enforcement resources.

–IANS

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