Patna: Patna civil court was forced to suspend proceedings on Thursday after receiving another bomb threat by email, the latest in a series of warnings that have disrupted judicial work across Bihar.
Police began searching two court campuses after the threat was received, with authorities saying hearings would resume only in the afternoon once security checks were completed. Town deputy superintendent of police Rajesh Ranjan said the premises were being thoroughly examined to ensure court work could continue safely.
The threat comes as Purnia MP Pappu Yadav is scheduled to appear before the court. It remains unclear whether his appearance will go ahead as planned. A hearing in his case on Monday was postponed after similar threats led to the evacuation of court buildings.
Thursday’s email marks the seventh bomb threat targeting Patna civil court in recent days, prompting anger among members of the legal fraternity. The District Bar Association (DBA) convened an emergency meeting and announced a boycott of work in protest at what lawyers described as repeated security lapses.
Advocate Anshuman Singh said the situation was deeply concerning. “This is happening repeatedly. Lawyers are agitated and no work is being done. We woke up this morning to learn that there was another threat and the court has been closed,” he said. Singh called on the Patna high court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.
On Wednesday, civil courts in Patna, Danapur and Kishanganj also received bomb threats via email. One message warned that “at exactly 1pm, there will be five bomb blasts in your court premises”, and included inflammatory slogans. As a precaution, authorities evacuated the buildings and restricted entry while police conducted searches.
The repeated threats have heightened tensions between lawyers and the police. Some advocates confronted officers over the handling of security arrangements, demanding to know what steps were being taken to prevent further disruptions.
Police have not yet disclosed whether any of the threats were credible or whether suspects have been identified.
