Chennai: In the early hours of Sunday, an unidentified caller rang the Chennai Police Control Room claiming that a bomb had been planted at the residence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in Alwarpet. The alarming call triggered a swift and high-level security response.

Immediately after receiving the threat, the police dispatched a bomb disposal squad along with a sniffer dog unit to the Chief Minister’s official residence. A thorough search operation was conducted across the premises, with officers combing every corner of the house and its surroundings.

After a detailed inspection lasting over an hour, police confirmed that the bomb threat was false.

No explosive materials or suspicious objects were found on the premises.

Officials have now launched an investigation to trace the person behind the hoax call.

The call was reportedly made from a mobile phone, and efforts are underway to track the number and identify the caller.

Senior police officers confirmed that the incident is being treated seriously and that appropriate legal action will be taken against the individual responsible for creating panic and attempting to disrupt public order.

Cyber and technical teams have been roped in to assist in the investigation. This is not the first time that such fake bomb threats have been reported in Tamil Nadu.

Over the past year, several prominent locations — including government offices, shopping malls, schools, and railway stations — have received similar hoax threats, often leading to evacuations and security sweeps.

In April 2023, multiple schools across Chennai and Coimbatore received email threats warning of planted bombs, which also turned out to be false.

In another instance in early 2024, a threat call targeted the Madras High Court premises, which led to a temporary lockdown of the area.

Security experts have warned that repeated hoax calls can lead to desensitisation of emergency response systems and drain valuable public resources.

Police have appealed to the public to refrain from such mischief, stressing that strict legal consequences await those found guilty.

Meanwhile, CM Stalin, who has been governing the state from a hospital bed following a recent medical procedure, was promptly informed of the development.