Chandigarh: Multiple judicial complexes across Punjab were evacuated on January 8, after bomb threat emails triggered panic and disrupted court proceedings for several hours. Courts in Ludhiana, Ropar, Anandpur Sahib, Ferozepur, Mansa, and Moga were affected. Bomb disposal squads conducted thorough searches at all locations, but no explosives were found, confirming the threats to be a hoax.
According to police investigations, the threatening emails originated from Austria and Germany. Special DGP (Cybercrime) V Neerja stated that the senders used the Tor network and VPN services to conceal their identities. She added that the state police have written to the Centre to pursue further investigation in coordination with authorities in the two countries.
At the Ludhiana District Courts, a bomb threat email sent to the official email ID of the Sessions Division led to immediate evacuation. Judicial proceedings were halted, and judges vacated their courtrooms. The incident caused heightened concern as a blast had occurred at the same complex in December 2021. Reports said the email, sent under the name “Ajmal Abdul Raj,” warned of suicide attacks and claimed that three RDX-based IEDs had been planted. Searches later confirmed no explosives were present.
Similar scenes unfolded at the Moga judicial complex, where all judicial staff, including judges, were evacuated. SSP Ajay Gandhi confirmed that no explosive material was detected. Courts in Mansa, Budhlada, and Sardulgarh were also evacuated following similar threat emails. SSP Bhagirath Singh Meena later stated that court work resumed after precautionary checks.
In Ropar, a bomb threat email was reportedly sent by an individual claiming links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The court complex was evacuated, and searches were conducted, but SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana confirmed that no explosives were found.
The Ferozepur court also received a threat email warning of an explosion at 2:30 pm. Authorities followed standard evacuation and search procedures, and court work resumed after the threat was declared false.
