A wave of panic swept through the Dharwad bench of the Karnataka High Court and several district courts across the state on Tuesday after a series of bomb threat emails targeted judicial complexes. The threats led to immediate evacuations, heightened security, and a suspension of court proceedings for several hours.
Court Complexes Evacuated, Security Heightened
The alarming emails were received at the official email IDs of the courts. Following the threats, the premises of the Dharwad High Court on PB Road were swiftly evacuated. Court proceedings for the day were suspended as a precautionary measure. Security was immediately tightened across the court complex.
According to the details of the threat sent to the district courts, bombs were allegedly placed at multiple locations within the complexes. The sender claimed that blasts would be carried out by their staff during the lunch break.
The email sent specifically to the Dharwad High Court bench was addressed to the Additional Registrar General (ARG), Shanateveer Shantappa. It warned of an RDX blast on the premises before 1:55 pm on Tuesday. ARG Shantappa promptly forwarded the message to Superintendent of Police Gunjan Arya, who rushed to the scene with the bomb detection squad and dog squad.
Massive Police Response and Search Operations
In response to the threats, a massive security operation was launched. More than 100 police personnel of various ranks were deployed to conduct thorough searches of the court buildings. After an extensive sweep using specialized teams and sniffer dogs, the police concluded that the email was a hoax.
Following consultations between the court administration and the police, it was decided to resume proceedings. Judges, advocates, staff, and clients were allowed to re-enter the courtrooms after being frisked. There were nine judges present at the Dharwad High Court bench at the time.
Similar precautionary measures were implemented in the district courts of Gadag and Bagalkot, where complexes were also evacuated and security was tightened as a preventive step.
Mysuru Courts Also Targeted, Proceedings Delayed
The disruption was not limited to North Karnataka. In Mysuru, the office of the Principal District and Sessions Judge (PDJ) received a similar bomb threat email around 10:40 am, just 20 minutes before the day's proceedings were to begin.
This led to proceedings in more than 40 courtrooms being deferred. Police Commissioner Seema Latkar stated that a comprehensive search was conducted immediately after police were informed, utilizing dog squads and anti-sabotage check teams. This threat, too, was later confirmed to be a hoax.
S Lokesh, President of the Mysuru Bar Association, confirmed that court proceedings finally commenced around 3 pm after police clearance.
Investigations are currently underway by the police to trace the source of the threatening emails. The incident has sparked concerns about security in judicial premises. BD Hiremath, President of the High Court Advocates' Association, emphasized the need to enhance security measures within the high court premises to prevent such scares in the future.
