Maharashtra Courts Evacuated Following Bomb Threat Emails
A series of bomb threat emails led to widespread evacuations across Maharashtra's court complexes, later confirmed as hoaxes.
Multiple courts across Maharashtra received bomb threat emails, causing evacuations.
Authorities confirmed all threats were hoaxes after thorough searches found no explosives.
Cyber police have initiated investigations to trace the source of the threats.
On Monday, panic ensued in various court complexes across Maharashtra after a sequence of bomb threat emails prompted extensive evacuations and security checks. The threats, which were later deemed hoaxes, affected courts in cities including Pune, Beed, Nanded, and Thane, among others, leading to a temporary halt in judicial proceedings as security teams conducted thorough searches.
The Beed Superintendent of Police, Navneet Kanwat, reported that the threat was sent to the court's official email address, triggering an immediate response from bomb detection and disposal squads, along with canine units. After a comprehensive search, no explosives were located, confirming the threat was unfounded. Similar reassurances came from Nanded's SP, Nilabh Rohan, who emphasized the swift police action to ensure public safety.
In Sangli, an email received around 2 PM warned of a blast scheduled for 3:11 PM, prompting the evacuation of the court premises. District public prosecutor Pramod Bhokare noted that the judge promptly informed the high court registry, and police were dispatched to investigate. The court resumed operations shortly after confirming no threat was present. Other districts, including Satara and Solapur, also received similar threats, with one email ominously referencing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and claiming responsibility for the threats on behalf of a separatist group.
The Pune police commissioner, Amitesh Kumar, confirmed that a bomb threat email was also directed at the Shivajinagar District and Sessions Court, which included a warning about a Metro station. Simultaneous checks at the Metro station yielded no findings. An FIR is set to be filed at the Shivajinagar police station regarding these threats. Additionally, a separate email to the Thane District Court warned of an IED attack, leading to a significant security operation that also involved evacuating individuals from the court buildings.
As investigations continue, cyber police are working to trace the origin of these coordinated threat emails, which caused significant disruption across multiple court complexes without resulting in any injuries or damage. The swift response from law enforcement highlights the importance of public safety in the face of such threats, ensuring that judicial processes can resume without further incident.
