Did Bomb Threats Spark Security Alerts at Courts in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Raipur/Bhopal, Jan 8 (NationPress) District courts across three districts in Chhattisgarh and one in Madhya Pradesh were placed on high alert on Thursday following bomb threats received via anonymous emails. This situation prompted immediate evacuations and extensive security sweeps of the court facilities.
Officials reported that threatening communications were sent to the official email addresses of district courts in Rajnandgaon, Durg, and Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, as well as at the Rewa district court in Madhya Pradesh.
In Rajnandgaon, the alarming email was received at approximately 10:07 a.m., warning of a potential suicide attack involving an RDX-based improvised explosive device (IED). The message purportedly demanded the evacuation of judges by around 2:35 p.m.
In response to this alert, the district collector and superintendent of police were promptly notified. Police teams, along with bomb disposal units and dog squads, were deployed, and all individuals were evacuated from the court premises as a precautionary measure.
“During the thorough search, no suspicious objects, explosives, or dangerous materials were found anywhere on-site,” police officials confirmed.
Similar security measures were enacted at the district courts in Durg and Bilaspur following comparable threat emails. Authorities verified that no explosives or suspicious items were detected at either site.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai addressed the situation, urging the public to remain calm. “I have been informed about this, but there is no need for fear. Our police administration is robust and fully capable,” he stated.
In Madhya Pradesh, a brief moment of panic ensued at the newly constructed Rewa District Court complex after an anonymous email was received at around 8:30 a.m. at the official email ID of the District and Sessions Judge. The message threatened to detonate the court premises by around 2:30 p.m. and reportedly mentioned the use of RDX-based explosives.
Following directives from the High Court and with approval from the District Judge, the entire court complex was evacuated. Judges, lawyers, court personnel, and visitors were safely guided out of the building.
Police officers, bomb disposal teams, and dog squads conducted a meticulous search of the premises. Officials reported that no suspicious objects or explosives were uncovered during the ongoing operation.
Rewa City Superintendent of Police Rajiv Pathak indicated that preliminary investigations suggested the email may have originated from southern India. Cyber police have joined the investigation to trace the sender and determine the source of the threat.
Officials mentioned that similar bomb threat emails were reported at district courts in several other states, including Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, on the same day, raising suspicions of coordinated hoax attempts aimed at disrupting judicial proceedings and instilling fear.
Previously, ordnance factories in Itarsi also received similar bomb threats on two occasions.
Investigations are currently underway in all cases.