A series of anonymous email threats claiming the presence of RDX explosives triggered mass evacuations and security scares at several district courts across Bihar on Thursday morning. The incidents, which judicial authorities have now declared as hoaxes, caused widespread disruption to legal proceedings and prompted large-scale responses from bomb disposal squads and police forces.
Widespread Evacuations and Security Response
The threats targeted key judicial complexes in the state. In Patna, both the civil court and the Danapur sub-divisional court received alarming emails warning of potential blasts. Patna (Central) SP Diksha confirmed that the civil court threat was received via email, prompting immediate action. "As soon as the information was received, a police team from Pirbahore police station immediately reached the court premises and initiated investigations," she stated, denying any negligence in the security response.
Similarly, Patna SP (West) Bhanu Pratap Singh oversaw the evacuation of the Danapur court complex. Authorities cleared the entire premises to ensure safety. A detailed security review was conducted by the Assistant Superintendent of Police, Danapur, along with other supervisory officers. The email had specified a 4 o'clock deadline for the alleged incident, which never materialized.
Comprehensive searches were carried out at all locations with the assistance of dog squads and bomb disposal teams, leaving no corner unchecked. Police officials later stated that the existing security setup was found to be robust, though recommendations were made to strengthen minor gaps.
Threats Extend to Araria and Gaya
The scare was not confined to the state capital. The principal district & sessions judge at Araria civil court received an email claiming a "human bomb" was planted within the court buildings. The threat was reportedly sent in the name of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). This prompted an immediate evacuation as judges, magistrates, lawyers, and hundreds of litigants fled the premises.
District Judge Gunjan Pandey alerted the Araria Bar and Advocate Association. A team led by SP Anjani Kumar, SDPO Sushil Kumar, and SHO Manish Kumar Rajak arrived with a dog squad and conducted exhaustive searches of every courtroom and corridor. No explosives were found.
In Gaya, panic gripped the civil court, the bar library, and nearby areas, leading to a complete suspension of judicial activity. The complex houses the chambers of the District Judge, 20 Additional District Judges, eight special judges, dozens of judicial officers, about 1,000 practising lawyers, and several hundred employees.
Syed Qaiser Sharfuddin, president of the Gaya Bar Association, said the email was received at the official address of the District and Sessions Judge, claiming bombs were planted and an explosion would occur in the afternoon. "Soon thereafter, panic buttons were pressed, and all present were evacuated to facilitate police operations," he explained.
Cyber Hunt for Perpetrators and Growing Frustration
Senior officials, including IG Kshatranil Singh and SSP Anand Kumar in Gaya, oversaw the search operations. The Gaya email, sent at 9.54 am, contained elaborate claims. It alleged the saboteurs were protesting the alleged inhuman treatment of constables in Tamil Nadu and claimed support from the ISI and Kashmiri separatists, while also linking itself to the LTTE.
SSP Anand Kumar confirmed that the cyber cell was directed to track the sender and the device used, stressing there was no need for public panic. This marks the fourth time courts in Bihar have received such fake bomb threats, with similar incidents reported in October and August of last year.
The repeated threats have sparked anger within the legal community. Advocate Mahesh Rajak voiced a common frustration, questioning, "Why has the government and administration not initiated any solid action against the criminals responsible for these messages?" Police have prima facie declared all alerts as hoaxes intended to create disruption and panic. A full-scale cyber investigation is now underway to trace the origins of the emails, with authorities vowing strict legal action against those responsible.
