Security has been enhanced in the premises of several courts in Odisha on Thursday after the district courts at Cuttack, Sambalpur and Deogarh received anonymous threat mails.
Odisha police chief Y B Khurania said police have taken cognisance of the matter and initiated a thorough investigation.
“As a precautionary measure, police checking and enhanced security arrangements have been put in place at all concerned locations. The situation is under close monitoring. The public is advised not to panic and to cooperate with police in maintaining security and assisting the investigation,” said Director General of Police Khurania.
The Odisha government has also directed senior police officers to rush to court premises to take stock of the situation and to keep a close watch.
Police sources said there has been a “similar pattern” to all three emails that were received and that the investigation was focusing on tracing the source of the emails. “We have got some information, and more details are awaited,” said the DGP.
According to officials, the three district courts received emails earlier in the day about a possible bomb explosion on their premises, creating panic among the legal fraternity and the public. The court authorities informed the police about the emails.
The situation also prompted authorities to carry out an immediate evacuation and conduct a search operation.
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While the court premises were vacated by the security personnel as a precautionary measure, bomb disposal squads and dog squads were also deployed to conduct thorough search operations. Police personnel said they are following all security protocols. No suspicious object has been detected so far, according to police.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has taken stock of the situation at a high-level meeting and directed the DGP to find those responsible for the threats and to unearth their intentions.
As per an official statement, the Chief Minister stressed that there shouldn’t be any complacency in matters related to the safety of people and asked police to take the matter with utmost seriousness.
On Tuesday, the Gujarat High Court and at least five other courts and a few collectorates across five districts received bomb threats, but nothing suspicious was found anywhere.
