Bomb squad conducts inspection at Idukki Collectorate after email threat

Idukki: Security was stepped up at the Collectorate and other key locations in the district on Tuesday following a bomb threat.

An email claimed that bombs had been planted at the Collectorate, Muttam Court and the Idukki–Mullaperiyar dams. Acting on the message received under the name Sameer Kushba, the District Police Chief issued an alert.

A five-member bomb squad led by District Charge Officer P. Manoj Kumar conducted detailed inspections at the identified locations. Trained sniffer dogs, including Maggie and Dolly, were deployed to detect explosives.

Officials said Muttam Court has received bomb threats in the past. A similar threat alleging a bomb at the Mullaperiyar dam had also been reported earlier. In that instance, the email was sent to the Thrissur District Court and later forwarded to the Thrissur Collector, who informed the Idukki Collector, considering the seriousness of the threat.

Following this, joint inspections were carried out at the dam by the bomb squad, dog squad and police. Another bomb threat message was received on Tuesday, prompting renewed security checks across the district.