Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Bomb threat menace blows up threat factor

Though many bomb threats prove to be hoaxes, they send the security agencies on their feet, expending considerable energy, time and manpower, says R. Rajaram

These are days when public institutions often become the target of threats. Though many prove to be hoaxes, they send the security agencies on a tizzy expending considerable energy, time and manpower.

In the last week of January, station masters of Tirunelveli, Salem and Chennai Egmore received letters, purportedly by a Muslim organisation, threatening to blow up 10 trains on February 3 as a "revenge for the torture of Muslim prisoners."

It prompted the Government Railway Police (GRP) into action as it threatened action a day prior to the Prime Minister's visit to the State. An alert was sounded and security stepped up with the railway police intensifying patrolling of tracks as well. Security was beefed up in Tiruchi Junction with the police checking the baggage of passengers. Security was strengthened for the next three days on board trains and stations.

Though nothing untoward happened, the police left nothing to chance. For the law enforcers, it wasn't something new as similar threats have come in the past.

Though most threat letters turn out to be a "hoax", we don't take a chance keeping in mind public safety, says an officer of the Tiruchi Railway Police District, which has a vast jurisdiction starting from Villupuram and extending down South up to Kanyakumari covering Tiruchi and Madurai railway divisions.

Course of action

Immediately on receipt of such threats, precautionary measures are put in place after a careful study of the material, its content and the demands put forth in them even as a hunt begins for the author of the letter.

Based on this, the involvement of particular outfit / organisation, if it were sent in that name, is then ascertained. The help of intelligence agencies is also sought.

But, there is a catch here, for the law enforcers say, the letter sometimes is sent under false names with a bogus address. This makes it difficult for the police to trace the "author." The enquiry is conducted at the place from the letter is posted.

The handwriting of the suspects picked up for interrogation is taken to ascertain whether it matches with the threat letter. The sample signatures of the suspects' relatives are also taken sometimes, say officials.

As for the threat letter to blow up 10 trains, the investigators had collected 20 signatures of possible suspects. It is a huge task to trace the "author" if the letter is typed.

Despite the difficulty, some "habitual offenders" were held by the GRP, which registered five cases in the State last year.

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