Jaipur CMO bomb threat: Accused arrested after 4.5-hour search finds nothing
Synopsis
A hoax bomb threat call sent Jaipur's CMO into a four-and-a-half-hour lockdown on 18 August — the latest in a sustained series of false alarms that have targeted Rajasthan's most sensitive locations, from the High Court to dozens of schools, over the past year. The accused, allegedly intoxicated when he made the call, was arrested the same day.
Key Takeaways
A bomb threat call to the Jaipur CMO on 18 August triggered a 4.5-hour multi-agency search; no device was found.
Accused Lala Kothyari , 38 , of Sawai Madhopur was arrested after police traced the phone number used.
Kothyari allegedly made the call while under the influence of intoxicants; police are investigating the motive.
The Rajasthan CMO received a similar threat on 26 July 2025 ; the Jaipur High Court bench received 13 threats in eight months .
Jaipur's schools, malls, and government offices have faced repeated hoax bomb threats since at least May 2024 .
A bomb threat targeting the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) in Jaipur triggered a large-scale security operation on Tuesday, 18 August, after a caller claimed an explosive device had been planted inside the building. The threat call, received at the Jaipur Police Control Room, prompted immediate deployment of multiple agencies — and ended with the arrest of the accused within hours.
The Search Operation
DCP (South) Rajarshi Raj reached the CMO to oversee the response. Teams from the Rajasthan Police, dog squad, Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed and conducted a thorough sweep of the building. The search, which began at approximately 10:30 am, lasted roughly four and a half hours. No suspicious object was found.
Accused Identified and Arrested
Investigators at Vidhayakpuri police station traced the phone number used to make the threat call. The accused was identified as Lala Kothyari, 38, a resident of Sawai Madhopur. According to preliminary information, Kothyari allegedly placed the call while under the influence of intoxicants. Police said he is being interrogated to establish the exact motive and circumstances behind the threat.
A Pattern of Threats Across Jaipur
This was not the first time the Rajasthan CMO has received such a threat. On 26 July 2025, a similar threat was issued against both the CMO and Jaipur International Airport; searches at both locations yielded nothing. The Rajasthan High Court has also been repeatedly targeted — on 13 July 2026, an email claimed six gelatin bombs had been planted, though the message stated there was no intention to harm the public. According to officials, the Jaipur Bench of the High Court received 13 threats over eight months, spanning dates in October and December 2025 and continuing into early 2026.
Educational institutions have not been spared either. On 13 May 2024 — the anniversary of the Jaipur serial blasts — threats were issued against 56 schools under the Jaipur Commissionerate. The Palace School at Jaleb Chowk received a threat by email on 16 June 2025, while Pareek School in Chandpole received one on 19 June 2024. On 19 August 2024, both Delhi Public School and Pink Square Mall in Adarsh Nagar were targeted on the same day. In each case, multi-agency searches found no explosive device.
Heightened Vigilance Now Standard
Officials said the sustained frequency of hoax threats has compelled security agencies to maintain heightened vigilance around government offices, educational institutions, and other sensitive locations across Jaipur. The pattern raises concerns about the strain such repeated false alarms place on emergency response resources. With Kothyari in custody, police are expected to determine whether Tuesday's call was an isolated act or part of a broader trend of hoax threats that has unsettled the city for over a year.
Point of View
But it papers over a deeper problem: the city has normalised a relentless cycle of bomb hoaxes that has stretched from the Chief Minister's Office to dozens of schools and the High Court over the past 14 months. Each false alarm consumes ATS, SDRF, and dog-squad resources for hours — a cumulative cost that rarely gets tallied publicly. The near-absence of deterrent consequences for prior hoax callers may itself be fuelling the pattern; a credible prosecution of Kothyari could matter more than the arrest alone.
NationPress
18 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the Jaipur CMO on 18 August?
A threatening phone call to the Jaipur Police Control Room claimed a bomb had been planted at the Chief Minister's Office. Police, ATS, SDRF, and a dog squad conducted a search lasting roughly four and a half hours but found no suspicious object.
Who was arrested in connection with the Jaipur CMO bomb threat?
Lala Kothyari, a 38-year-old resident of Sawai Madhopur, was arrested after Vidhayakpuri police traced the phone number used to make the threat call. He allegedly placed the call while under the influence of intoxicants.
Is this the first bomb threat against the Rajasthan CMO?
No. On 26 July 2025, a threat was issued against both the CMO and Jaipur International Airport; searches at both locations found nothing. Tuesday's incident is part of a broader pattern of hoax threats targeting sensitive locations across Jaipur.
How many bomb threats has the Jaipur High Court received?
According to officials, the Jaipur Bench of the Rajasthan High Court received 13 threats over eight months, including on 31 October 2025, multiple dates in December 2025, and several dates in February and March 2026.
What action are police taking after the CMO threat?
Lala Kothyari is in custody and is being interrogated to determine the exact motive and circumstances. Officials say repeated threats have prompted security agencies to maintain heightened vigilance around government offices, schools, and other sensitive locations across Jaipur.
