Updated on

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09 Jul 2025, 12:49 pm

CHANDIGARH: Panic gripped several district court complexes in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday after anonymous emails threatened to blow up the premises in Shimla, Nahan, Kullu, and Rampur. The threats led to the immediate evacuation of court buildings and a full-scale security response. However, no explosives were found, and court proceedings later resumed.

According to sources, the email received by the district court in Shimla claimed that explosives had been planted on the premises and warned of imminent Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and suicide bomb attacks. In response, bomb disposal squads, sniffer dogs, and police personnel carried out a thorough search of the premises. The entire complex was evacuated as a precaution.

Similar threat emails were also received at the District and Sessions Court complexes in Kullu and Nahan. These buildings were also evacuated, and extensive searches were conducted, but no suspicious materials were discovered. Staff, lawyers, and members of the public were safely escorted from all affected premises.

Kullu Superintendent of Police, Karthikeyan Gokulachandran, stated that the local police are working in coordination with the cybercrime unit to trace the origin of the emails. “Security has been tightened across the district, particularly at key government buildings,” he said.

Shimla SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi confirmed that multiple locations, including Rampur, received similar email threats. “Preventative measures were immediately undertaken, and police teams, led by DSP-level officers, were dispatched to the sites,” he said. The Himachal Pradesh Police are also liaising with other states that have recently experienced similar threats.

The Nahan Court Complex in Sirmaur district was also evacuated after receiving a threat email in the morning. Panic spread quickly, but authorities managed the evacuation in an orderly fashion.

An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the emails had been sent using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), complicating efforts to identify the sender. The state’s cyber cell has been tasked with tracking the origin and determining the credibility of the threats.

This is not the first time such hoax threats have disrupted official functioning in Himachal Pradesh. In recent months, similar email threats were sent to the Chief Secretary’s Office at the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat, as well as to the offices of the Deputy Commissioners of Mandi, Chamba, and Hamirpur. One of the emails even threatened a suicide bombing at the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

Authorities have reassured the public that the situation is under control and that all necessary precautions are being taken to ensure the safety and security of public institutions.