Bomb hoax played on Fort St George, man held

Chennai: The police in St George Fort, where Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami hoisted the national flag on Wednesday, were made to run around as a person had dialled the police control room and informed them that a ‘bomb’ had been planted in the premises. The man was later arrested.

According to the police, the hoax call was received at the control room at the Commissioner’ office at around 8 am. “The caller informed a bomb had been planted in the fort and it would go off during the Independence Day celebrations,” the sources said.

The police in the control room informed the higher-ups, who, in turn, called the bomb squad in. “The bomb squad combed the entire fort premises and did not find any bomb,” the police said. 

All roads leading to Fort St George Fort were also searched and visitors to the grand event were out through a rigorous security check.

Meanwhile, Egmore police have registered a case. “During the investigation, it was found that Mariraj (38) of Tirunelveli made the call,” the police said. He is working in a security agency in Coimbatore and the Race Course police in Coimbatore arrested him in evening.