Overview

• A 5:20 a.m. call to the Chennai Police Control Room claimed a bomb at the actor-politician’s Neelankarai home on East Coast Road.
• Three bomb disposal experts and a sniffer dog carried out an hour-long search before declaring the threat a hoax.
• Neelankarai police have registered a formal case and are investigating the source of the fake call.
• On Friday evening, a similar false alarm at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus led Colaba police to open a separate investigation.
• Recurring hoax threats have surged in recent months across major cities, prompting repeated deployment of bomb squads and canine units.