MADURAI: The Tirunelveli district police seized two pipe bombs from the premises of a private cement factory on the outskirts of the city on Tuesday night.
The improvised explosive devices were found with wires and fuses, hidden in a secluded place on the factory premises.
Police sources said the factory officials on Tuesday night received a phone call warning them that bombs had been planted at five places, which would explode shortly.
The caller demanded Rs 50 lakh from the officials to prevent the explosion.
On being alerted, a team from the Thazhaiyoothu police station reached the spot along with a bomb detection and disposal squad and conducted a search.
The two bombs found on the premises were shifted from the premises.
Police sources said the bombs were diffused safely on Wednesday.
District superintendent of police N Manivannan reached the factory and conducted an inquiry.
Recently, the factory management didn’t allow some contract employees to work following the Tamil Nadu government’s lockdown order which permitted factories to function with restricted number of workers in view of Covid-19.
Police suspect that some of the stopped workers might have been involved in the sabotage attempt.
The police have detained a few people on suspicion and an inquiry was under way.