Chandigarh: Hoax bomb alerts sent to 7 banks

Police teams, accompanied by the bomb disposal squad and dog squad, searched the premises, however, no explosives or suspicious objects were found

In a fresh disruption, several branches of seven banks received bomb threat emails, with the messages also naming the Chandigarh mayor’s office, court complex and Mohali airport, on Thursday. Police teams, accompanied by the bomb disposal squad and dog squad, searched the premises, however, no explosives or suspicious objects were found.

Security agencies say they scan the premises nonetheless, as prescribed under the standard operating procedures. (HT Photo)

The tricity has been receiving such mails, threatening to blow up educational institutions, hospitals, administrative buildings and public places, since the beginning of the year, though all turned out to be hoax. Security agencies say they scan the premises nonetheless, as prescribed under the standard operating procedures.

The mail received on Thursday carried references to Babbar Khalsa (Parmar-Canada) and the Khalistan National Army, among other organisations and individuals. However, these references do not establish the involvement of any of the named organisations, police officials said, adding that they are probing the source of the emails and trying to identify the sender.

Besides the seven banks – Indian Bank, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Central Bank of India, Union Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, and Punjab National Bank – the email also threatened an IED explosion during Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh’s concert at Mullanpur stadium on December 12. They also referred to Amitabh Bachchan’s Mumbai residence, Jalsa, and the 1984 riots.