CHENNAI: Two private schools in Chromepet and Chitlapakkam received bomb threats from a sender who demanded USD 55,000 in exchange for not triggering the explosives.

On Monday noon, the NSN Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chromepet and the Rosary Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chitlapakkam received emails warning of bomb explosions.

The email sender claimed that powerful explosives had been placed in the premises of the schools and demanded USD 55,000 (valued at around Rs 48 lakh), warning that in case of non-payment, the remote-controlled bombs would be set off. Following the threat, both school administrations alerted the Tambaram Commissioner's office.

The police who suspected it to be a hoax requested the management not to inform the parents and make them panic. The students were asked to leave the classrooms and were made to sit on the school grounds.

Later, the bomb squad and the police checked the premises of the schools thoroughly and found no explosives inside. Then the police confirmed it was a hoax threat and asked the students to return to their classrooms.

The Chitlapakkam police have registered a case and further investigation is on to nab the sender.