According to police, investigations traced the message to an individual from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, who had sent it from an original social media account.
Published Feb 13, 2025 | 9:50 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 13, 2025 | 9:50 AM
Hoax call for bomb threat. (iStock)
Synopsis: The Kerala police received a bomb threat claiming that explosives had been planted at Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station and Cochin International Airport. The message, sent by a native of Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, later turned out to be a hox.
The Kerala Police on Wednesday, 12 February, received a bomb threat on their official Facebook page claiming that explosives had been planted at Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station and Cochin International Airport in Nedumbassery warning that they would detonate within 32 hours.
Following the threat message sent through Facebook Messenger, security agencies were on high alert. Authorities launched multiple security sweeps immediately at the railway station throughout the day but found nothing suspicious. However, since no suspicious activity was detected, the message is now being treated as a hoax.
Bomb squads conducted inspections at both locations.
According to police, investigations traced the message to an individual from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, who had sent it from an original social media account.
Considering the potential threat, the police took the matter seriously. A senior police official said security agencies remained vigilant until the stated deadline of 5.30 am on Thursday.
In response to the threat, a high-level meeting of security agencies was held at Nedumbassery Airport and security measures were strengthened.
The Thampanoor police have registered a case against the suspect for misleading law enforcement, and they added that a police team is set to travel to Andhra Pradesh on Thursday to apprehend the individual.
City cyber police and Thampanoor Police registered cases against the accused under Section 353 (1) (b) [spreading false information to create public panic] of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and also under Kerala Police Act Sections 118 (b) [spreading rumours] and 120 (o) [causing nuisance or violation of public order].
According to reports, security checks were carried out at railway stations in Kollam, Kottayam, and Ernakulam.
(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar.)
