Bomb hoax at Sabarimala

SABARIMALA: Police on Wednesday conducted a search in Sabarimala temple and surrounding areas following a bomb threat which turned out to be a hoax.
   
After receiving the call, police sounded a red alert and carried a thorough search of the area and later declared the complex safe.

The temple has been witnessing heavy rush of pilgrims since the commencement of the pilgrimage season last week.
   
The call, received in a police station at Kozhikode, said a bomb would go off at 3.30 pm near the temple.
   
Police said initial information was that the call originated from a telephone from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
   
Police also searched shops in the area, boxes where devotees throw cash offerings and bundles and bags carried by the pilgrims. The security has been strengthened at the holy eighteen steps that lead to the temple complex.
   
In all, 800 police personnel, including those from the bomb squad, were deployed for the search operations.