Chennai, Nov 12 : Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A. Arun has revealed that as many as 342 bomb threats have been reported across the city since April this year, targeting key establishments and prominent individuals.

In a statement on Wednesday, the senior officer said that the investigation into these threats has now been formally handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Tamil Nadu Police.

The commissioner said the police treat every single threat seriously. â??Nothing is taken lightly. Either a case is registered under an FIR or recorded in the Community Service Register (CSR), depending on the nature of the complaint,â?? he said.

According to senior police officials, the threats -- mostly received through emails -- have followed similar patterns in phrasing and sentence structure, leading investigators to suspect that a single individual or a small group could be behind them.

â??Most of these hoax messages are sent using TOR browsers or VPNs to conceal the senderâ??s IP address. However, for all practical purposes, the messages may have originated from within the city itself,â?? a senior officer noted.

Police sources added that the Chennai City Police are coordinating with central agencies, as similar threats have been reported from several other major cities across India. In some cases, the threats have been traced to mentally disturbed individuals or minors, who were released on station bail after receiving stern warnings. However, police have acted firmly in serious cases.

Last month, a physically challenged man was arrested for sending a hoax bomb threat to the Chief Ministerâ??s residence. The investigation revealed that he was a repeat offender previously booked for a similar offence.

Following a spate of hoax threats targeting foreign consulates in Chennai, Commissioner Arun also held meetings with consulate representatives to brief them on the measures taken and to reassure them of the cityâ??s security preparedness.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the recent blast in Delhi, the Chennai City Police have intensified vehicle checks across key junctions since Monday night. â??There is no specific threat to Chennai, but we are maintaining heightened vigilance without causing unnecessary panic,â?? Commissioner Arun said.

/IANS