Ludhiana: Hoax bomb threat email puts district court complex on alert

Email warns of explosions at the court complex at 2.11 pm and a school at 1.11 pm; also names singer Diljit Dosanjh and LoP Rahul Gandhi

A bomb threat email warning of explosions at the Ludhiana district court complex and a school turned out to be a hoax on Wednesday, after an extensive search by the police and anti-sabotage team found no explosive material or suspicious object.

Visitors being frisked at the district court complex in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

The threat prompted security personnel to inspect the court premises thoroughly and scan visitors’ bags.

The email, sent from cainbrown6293@gmail.com, warned of an explosion at the district court complex at 2.11 pm and at an unnamed school at 1.11 pm. It also named Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as targets and made references to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The senders claimed to be members of the Khalistan National Army and Babbar Khalsa (Parmar-Canada).

Taking the threat seriously, police personnel and the anti-sabotage team rushed to the court complex and searched the premises to rule out the presence of an explosive device. Visitors’ bags were also checked as part of the security exercise. The operation, however, yielded nothing suspicious.

The threat emails have also raised concerns among members of the District Bar Association, who urged the police to trace those responsible.

They said such incidents disrupt court proceedings for hours and sought the deployment of police personnel at all entry and exit points of the new court complex to strengthen security.

Assistant commissioner of police (Civil Lines) Sarabjit Singh Cheema said the email had turned out to be a hoax. “Police teams conducted a thorough search as a preventive measure on the premises but no suspicious object was found. We are making efforts to trace the sender.” he added.

Wednesday’s threat is the latest in a series of similar emails received by government establishments and educational institutions in Punjab. In Ludhiana, the deputy commissioner’s office, municipal corporation offices and several private schools have received such threats in the past.

Similar emails from other parts of the state have also triggered repeated security drills.