Chennai: The city was gripped by a wave of security alerts on Thursday as bomb squads and police forces conducted extensive searches at multiple high-profile locations following a series of anonymous email threats. Among the sites targeted were the Alwarpet residence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the Teynampet home of popular actress Trisha, and the state headquarters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in T Nagar.
The coordinated threats also extended to the Raj Bhavan (Governor’s Mansion) and the residences of actor-politician SV Shekhar, creating a city-wide security scare. Authorities have not yet identified the source or motive behind the threatening emails, which have become an increasingly common tactic used to disrupt public order and intimidate public figures.
A Recurring Menace: Police Grapple with Untraceable Email Threats
The incidents form part of a disturbing pattern of bomb threats against prominent individuals in Tamil Nadu. Just recently, the Neelankarai residence of actor and Tamil Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay was similarly threatened following his political campaign rally in Karur district. In the case of S.V. Shekhar, the latest threat was a repeat of a hoax perpetrated last week, prompting another deployment of bomb disposal experts who, like in previous instances, found nothing suspicious.
Law enforcement officials acknowledge the challenges in investigating these cases. Cybercrime police have indicated that the sheer volume of email addresses used to send these threats makes them extremely difficult to trace. Despite these obstacles, specialized teams are working to identify the perpetrators and take decisive legal action against them for causing public alarm and diverting critical security resources. The repeated nature of these false threats has put the city’s security apparatus on a state of high vigilance.