Tiruchy: A bomb threat call to the Tiruchirappalli railway junction here turned out to be a hoax on Monday, but kept railway authorities and security personnel on tenterhooks until elaborate checks were completed.
An anonymous caller from Coimbatore informed railway catering contractor Ravindran at Chennai central railway station that bombs have been planted at the Tiruchirapalli railway junction and might go off before 1300 hrs on Monday. This kept security personnel on their toes. Mr Ravindran informed railway authorities here, who in turn alerted the security personnel.
Following this, a security team, consisting of Government railway police (GRP), railway protection force, sniffer dogs, members of the bomb detection and disposal squad led by Dr. Z. Annie Vijaya, SP, GRP, conducted a through check of the entire premises of the railway junction. They allowed passengers only through metal detector frames and their baggage through the scanner. They also conducted a thorough check at the parcel office, but nothing was found.
Ms Annie Vijaya told media persons that the caller made the call from a one-rupee coin box at Coimbatore and security personnel had checked all trains passing through Tiruchy junction including the Chennai Egmore-Guruvayur express in both directions. Efforts were also on to secure the anonymous caller, she added.
It might be recalled that in the last few months, similar bomb threat letters and anonymous phone calls have been received and police secured a person hailing from Lalgudi, a couple of days ago and are investigating.
