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A 17-year-old from Villupuram district was arrested early Sunday morning, September 7, by the Koyambedu police for making a hoax bomb threat to the Chennai Metro Rail. According to police, the teenager called the metro rail control office around 5.45 pm on September 5, claiming there was a bomb on a train. The call prompted an immediate security response, but no explosives were discovered.
The caller was traced to Kallakurichi in Villupuram district. “The call lasted just nine seconds, during which he claimed there was a bomb on the train. The phone was switched off immediately afterward. The SIM card had been purchased earlier but had not been used for some time. Eventually, we tracked it to this individual,” said Rajesh, Inspector of the K10 Koyambedu police station.
When asked about the motive, Inspector Rajesh explained that the teenager acted out of curiosity. “He wanted to see if the police would pick up the call and trace it back to him. It was a prank,” he said.
The boy was arrested around 5 am on Sunday and remanded to police custody for questioning. Following the threat, police teams, including the bomb squad, conducted thorough checks of metro trains and station premises across Chennai. Services were not disrupted, but security was tightened at all entry and exit points.