Karnataka Courts Evacuated in Coordinated Hoax Bomb Threat Wave
A coordinated wave of bomb threat messages sent to courts across Karnataka on Monday triggered widespread panic, forced evacuations, and launched massive combing operations, before authorities ultimately declared each incident a hoax. The threats, arriving via email and fax within hours of each other, have renewed urgent calls for tighter cyber monitoring, enhanced digital security systems, and more robust coordinated preventive mechanisms across judicial infrastructure.
Dharwad High Court and District Courts Targeted
In the second such incident in just over a month, the Dharwad bench of the Karnataka High Court received a bomb threat email on Monday, causing immediate panic and a full-scale evacuation. After an intensive search operation lasting over three hours, authorities confirmed the threat was a hoax.
The email, strikingly similar to one received on January 6, claimed an RDX bomb had been planted on the premises and would detonate at 1:15 PM on February 16. It also bizarrely demanded the withdrawal of EWS reservation implementation in Tamil Nadu.
High Court Additional Registrar Shantaveer Shivappa promptly alerted the police, who swiftly evacuated the entire premises, including all parked vehicles, and mobilized fire and emergency services. Fingerprint experts and the bomb disposal squad conducted a meticulous two-hour search before declaring the area safe, allowing court proceedings to resume later in the day.
Soon after, a similar threatening email reached the Dharwad District and Sessions Court, leading to another evacuation and search operation. No suspicious materials were found. B D Hiremath, President of the High Court Advocates' Association, strongly urged authorities to identify the culprits and significantly strengthen cybersecurity protocols within court systems.
Multiple Districts Affected by Hoax Threats
The threat wave extended far beyond Dharwad, impacting judicial complexes across the state:
- Mangaluru: The district court complex received a hoax threat email. City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH confirmed that the Anti-Sabotage Check (ASC) team thoroughly inspected the premises but found nothing suspicious.
- Haveri: A bomb threat delivered via fax around noon led to the complete evacuation of the district court. Police, supported by a canine squad and the bomb disposal team, searched the entire building, including the basement parking area. After two hours, the alert was declared a false alarm.
- Karwar: A threat email sent to the Principal District and Sessions Court at 8:25 AM warned of a detonation before 12:15 PM. The mail, originating from an ID identified as Sunniya Dasan (sunniya_dasan@outlook.com), contained objectionable and confusing content, prompting an immediate police investigation.
- Mandya and Madikeri: A hoax email triggered the evacuation of the Mandya City Court around 11:30 AM. Superintendent of Police V J Shobharani personally supervised a search involving the canine squad and fire department. A similar hoax email also targeted the court in Madikeri.
Investigations and Calls for Enhanced Security
With multiple courts across Karnataka receiving threats in a short timeframe, police have launched comprehensive investigations to determine whether the messages originated from a common source. The coordinated nature of these incidents has highlighted significant vulnerabilities in the digital security of judicial institutions.
Legal professionals and security experts are now advocating for the implementation of advanced cyber monitoring tools, mandatory cybersecurity training for court staff, and the establishment of a unified, state-wide threat response protocol to prevent future disruptions and safeguard the integrity of the judicial process.
