Three petrol bombs hurled near Meenakshi temple in Madurai

Unidentified persons hurled three petrol bombs in the vicinity of the Sri Meenakshi Temple on 5 January night.

• Police said there were no casualties in the incident.

• The bombs were hurled within a span of two hours late last night. However, only one of it exploded. Broken beer bottles were recovered from the site, police said.

• The incident occurred few hours after the National Investigation Guards (NSG) reviewed security arrangements in the temple.

• NSG DSP Viswanathan and his team inspected the CCTV arrangements, queue system, and scanning equipments.

• Police said sufficient protection cover was in place in the temple and its vicinity.

• Mani, a local resident, said he heard a loud noise in the night and saw people running helter-skelter. Personnel from the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and Special Investigation Cell (SIC) inspected the area.

• SIU personnel said it seemed that some miscreants exploded the bombs with an intention to create panic. Initial investigation ruled out the terror angle.

• Temple officials were requested to restrict usage of mobile phones inside the temple and use jammers, Viswanathan said.

• Some changes in the security system have been suggested, he said.