Ahmedabad, Jan 6 (IANS) A series of bomb threats targeting courts and government offices across Gujarat over recent days have prompted heightened security measures, temporary suspension of court proceedings, and intensive searches by security agencies. In all cases so far, authorities have reported no suspicious objects, terming the threats as hoaxes, even as investigations continue.

In Ahmedabad, the Ahmedabad City Civil and Sessions Court received a bomb threat, following which court proceedings were suspended as a precaution. The threat was received by the court’s registry department via email.

Teams from the Bomb Squad and Dog Squad rushed to the premises and conducted a thorough search before declaring the area safe. Around the same time, a bomb threat was reported at the Gandhinagar Collector’s Office.

Gandhinagar police carried out a complete security sweep of the premises but found nothing suspicious. Police later stated that the threat appeared to be a hoax.

Similar threats were also reported at courts in Rajkot and Surat. In Rajkot, lawyers were asked to vacate the court premises as a precaution, while Bomb Disposal and Dog Squad teams were deployed to inspect the area.

In Surat, the district court received an anonymous phone call threatening a bomb blast. Court proceedings were suspended for the day, and entry of lawyers and petitioners was restricted while police teams conducted a detailed inspection of the court complex.

On Tuesday, the Ahmedabad Rural Court also received a bomb threat via email sent to its registry department.

Following standard security protocol, court proceedings were halted and bomb and dog squad teams were deployed. No objectionable items were found during the search.

Officials also confirmed that the Gujarat High Court had received threatening emails in the recent past. About a month ago, a bomb threat email caused panic at the High Court, prompting a full security check by bomb and dog squad teams. Investigations later revealed that no explosive material was present. Around the same period, an IndiGo flight made an emergency landing at Ahmedabad airport following a bomb threat, highlighting a broader pattern of hoax threats.

Earlier also the Gujarat High Court had received a bomb threat email from an unidentified sender. The Registrar informed the Sola Police, after which security agencies, including the BDDS, conducted a comprehensive search of the premises. The threat was later declared false.

Police officials said that while all the threats so far have turned out to be hoaxes, each alert is being treated with utmost seriousness to ensure public safety. Cyber teams are investigating the source of the emails and calls to identify those responsible for creating panic and disrupting judicial and administrative functioning across the state.

–IANS

janvi/rad