The government on Friday identified the Internet Service Provider through which the e-mail hoax about a bomb being planted in Parliament was sent to Chennai and Delhi, highly placed home ministry sources said.

A crack team has been constituted to trace the culprits, they said.

Security officials were trying to locate the address of the computer machines using the remote hosting technology that helps find the exact computer used for sending the e-mail, said the sources.

Asked if it was a prank played by someone, a senior home ministry official said, "We are taking it seriously and at this stage we do not rule out anything."