Gujarat Bomb Threat Hoax Sparks Panic and Security Scramble
Gandhinagar/Ahmedabad: Panic gripped parts of Gujarat on Wednesday after a threat email warning of bomb blasts at the Gujarat legislative assembly, multiple schools in Ahmedabad, and a possible missile strike on LPG tankers at ports in Kutch triggered a large-scale security response. The email, allegedly sent by a Khalistani extremist outfit, prompted immediate evacuations and thorough checks, but was ultimately declared a hoax by police.
Assembly Complex Evacuated During Budget Session
The Gujarat assembly complex received the bomb threat via email on Wednesday morning during the ongoing budget session. Police teams, including bomb and dog squads, rushed to the scene, leading to the evacuation of all MLAs and ministers as a precaution. After an extensive search operation found no suspicious objects, proceedings of the House began at 10am, delayed from the scheduled 9am start. Senior officials, including Gandhinagar SP Ravi Teja Vasamsetty and DGP K L N Rao, oversaw the security arrangements.
Schools Disrupted on Board Exam Day
Simultaneously, at least 23 schools in Ahmedabad—19 in the city and four in rural areas—received similar emails warning of blasts during school hours. The threats caused significant disruption on the last day of board exams, with students held outside campuses. At a school in Vejalpur, the Class 10 exam was postponed by nearly an hour, while at another in Ghatlodia, staff were evacuated and seen checking answer sheets in the open ground.
Threat Details and Security Response
The threat email, written in Punjabi and English, contained references to political leaders and specified times for potential attacks: explosions at schools around 1.11pm, at the Assembly at 2.11pm, and LPG tanker attacks at ports in Kutch between 3.11pm and 9.11pm. It also mentioned a deadline linked to March 25, when the budget session is scheduled to conclude. In response, security has been tightened across key installations, and cyber teams are working to identify the sender.
Police Investigation and Statements
DGP K L N Rao addressed the incident, stating, "For the past couple of months, many states and cities in the country have received bomb threats from different senders. Recently, police arrested a man from West Bengal who sold the email IDs which were used in sending threats. Today, one such mail was received at the state assembly, after which proper SOPs were followed. Bomb and dog squads checked the entire assembly thoroughly and did not find any suspicious thing. Gujarat police is capable of tackling this situation, and whoever sent this threat will be caught." He added that the email appeared to be from an alleged Khalistani outfit and that Gandhinagar police would probe the matter while reviewing assembly security protocols.
Gandhinagar SP Ravi Teja Vasamsetty confirmed that police teams have started working to trace the source of the email, with legal action to be initiated and efforts underway to examine links with previous such threats. A high-level meeting was also held to assess the situation, emphasizing coordination with central agencies.
