Bomb threat to Raj Bhavan was a hoax, say police

This incident follows a series of bomb threat emails received by 68 schools in Bengaluru, both in the city and rural districts, in recent days

An unidentified caller issued a bomb threat to the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru on Monday night, prompting a search operation by the police and bomb squads, officials aware of the matter said.

The caller, contacting the National Investigation Agency’s control room in Domlur, claimed that explosives were planted on the Raj Bhavan premises set to detonate imminently, officials said. (HT Photo)

The caller, contacting the National Investigation Agency’s control room in Domlur around 11.45 pm, claimed that explosives were planted on the Raj Bhavan premises set to detonate imminently, they said.

The police officials were informed and the cops rushed to the spot with anti-sabotage and bomb detection teams. After searching the premises for several hours, the police ruled out any suspicious objects in the area. The Vidhana Soudha Police have registered a case and are trying to trace the location of the caller.

“A case has been registered by the Vidhana Soudha police, and an investigation is underway to determine the identity of the caller and ascertain the motive behind the false threat,” said a senior police officer in the know of the development.

A senior police officer mentioned that the contents of the threatening emails closely resembled those sent to 19 schools in Malaysia on November 21, which were later confirmed to be hoaxes. Authorities remain vigilant in probing these incidents to ensure the safety and security of public institutions.

The Bengaluru Police have also written to the Central Bureau of Investigation’s Interpol division seeking information on some of the elements in the case. In the emails sent to several schools, the sender mentioned the Mumbai attack that took place on November 26, 2008. “Convert to Islam or die under the weight of the sword of Islam,” the mail sent to schools read.