Lethal chemical parcel at IT firm was talcum powder: Cops

While the laboratory tests are yet to confirm that the mysterious parcel did not contain anthrax as had been claimed by the letter that accompanied it, the police claimed that it was a hoax. On Thursday, a ‘scary’ parcel that threatened to contain a chemical powder to eliminate the ‘torturing supervisors’ reached the doors of the software firm at OMR triggering panic among the staff. 

The staff immediately alerted the local police who checked the parcel and dismissed it as a hoax. Police said some disgruntled employee could have sent the parcel. When contacted, Deputy commissioner Sundaravadivel said they have not traced the sender yet. “The enquiry is on,” he added.  The parcel had created a flutter at the software firm.

Sleuths of National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday conducted enquiries at a private courier company in suburban Pallavaram in connection with last year’s bomb blast at Bengaluru. 

During investigation, the sleuths found that a substance used to prepare explosives was couriered to Madurai in 2016. The officials zeroed in on the courier firm based on the information provided by five men who were arrested in connection with the blast. 

Abbas Ali, Mohammad Ayub Ali, Samsudin Karim Raja, Karva Samsudin were arrested in Madurai, while Dawood Sulaiman was arrested at Kottivakkam near here after the blast. During the investigation at the courier agency, the NIA found that the parcel was sent in August 2016. Further investigations are on.