Hoax bomb threats in multiple courts disrupt judicial work in Bengal; inquiry on to trace sender

Kolkata, Feb 24 (PTI) Judicial activities were disrupted on Tuesday, as at least six courts across West Bengal received bomb threats, throwing security personnel into a tizzy and prompting evacuation and search operations in court premises, officials said.

The city sessions court and CJM (Bankshall) court in Kolkata, sub-divisional courts at Asansol and Durgapur in Paschim Bardhaman district, and the courts at Chuchura and Arambagh in Hooghly district received bomb threats over email in the morning, a senior police officer said.

However, the security forces found no explosive material during the search operations in courts, he said.

The city sessions court and the CJM (Bankshall) court were vacated, and Kolkata Police bomb squad personnel, accompanied by sniffer dogs, checked the entire premises, the officer said.

Similar operations were carried out at other courts in the state.

Asked if the simultaneous bomb threats in courts were linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being carried out by judicial officers, CEO Manoj Agarwal said it was up to the state police to conduct an inquiry and find out the truth and those behind the hoax.

"I think the police are already probing the bomb threats, and whether it is linked to any ongoing election-related exercise in the courts," Agarwal said.

In a hurriedly called press meet at the state secretariat Nabanna afterwards, Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty said a probe has been initiated to ascertain the source of the threat mails, and whether one individual or a group is involved.

Chakravorty, who was accompanied by DGP Piyush Pandey and Kolkata Commissioner of Police Supratim Sarkar, told reporters that the West Bengal government is committed to provide security to judicial officers and others involved in the SIR process.

"There were separate mails threatening that bombs had been planted in two courts in the city, four other courts at the same time. All safety measures were taken, and a thorough check was conducted. However, nothing was found. The work at the courts resumed after the search," she said.

Asked if all the mails contained the same language, written in the same format and whether the sender's name/address was the same, she said, "Our investigating agencies are looking into all these aspects." Asked if the cyber cell of the police was at work, Sarkar said, "The Kolkata police cyber crime cell, in coordination with state police and others are already at work to trace the server and domain." To another question about the hoax call related to the SIR exercise, the chief secretary said the scope of the probe will definitely look into that and other aspects as well.

An SDJM at Asansol court said, "Once I was informed by the secretariat about a mail threatening a bomb blast inside a courtroom, I immediately alerted the employees and everyone, and ensured we vacated the building. I also informed the police, and they arrived soon." A lawyer at Chuchura court said, "I heard a mail has come informing about a bomb like object in the courtroom. We are asked to leave the premises immediately." PTI SUS RBT NN