Patna: Panic spread through Patna’s civil court complex on Monday after an email sent to the official account of the district and sessions judge claimed that RDX and improvised explosive devices had been planted inside the premises, prompting an emergency evacuation and a major security operation.
Court officials said all staff, lawyers and litigants were moved to safe locations as a precaution. The main gates of the sprawling complex were sealed and access restricted while security checks were carried out.
Police teams, a bomb disposal squad and other security agencies were deployed shortly after the message was received. A comprehensive search was launched across the court buildings, with dog squads examining areas for any suspicious objects, officials said.
According to administrative sources, the sender of the email identified himself as Arun Kumar and claimed to be a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Security agencies, however, said they were treating the claim with caution and had not confirmed any link to the banned organisation.
As an additional precaution, the Patna City civil court complex was also evacuated and placed under heightened security, with police conducting parallel searches to rule out any potential threat.
Authorities said the Patna civil court has received similar bomb threats in the past, including emails that later turned out to be hoaxes after no explosives were found during investigations.
The cybercrime unit has begun a technical analysis of the email to trace the sender’s identity, location and possible motive. Senior police officials said security remained on high alert and that all necessary measures were in place.
Court proceedings were disrupted following the evacuation, with officials saying a decision on resuming judicial work would be taken only after security agencies completed their checks and the situation was deemed safe.
