Delhi HC receives bomb threat - 'Judge’s chamber will detonate shortly'

Delhi High Court

A bomb threat was received at the Delhi High Court on Friday, prompting a search operation and evacuations on the premises.

According to a report by News18, the threat letter mentioned that three explosives had been planted in the judge’s room and at other locations on the premises, and warned that the evacuations should be completed by 2 pm.

The letter, as per the report, also mentioned “links with the Pakistan ISI cells” and stated that “the judge’s chamber will detonate shortly after mid-day Islamic prayers.”

Citing officials, The Indian Express reported that all judges were taken to the judges’ lounge within minutes. The registrar general and other official email IDs of the Delhi High Court purportedly received an email at 10.41 am threatening a bomb blast in the “judge chambers” without specifying any names.

By 12.20 pm, Delhi HC Bar Association President N Hariharan, court staff, and security personnel started evacuating the court premises for “searching the premises”, as told to the Indian Express.

CRPF personnel were deployed on the first floor of the building where the judges’ lounge is situated, the report added. According to an official of the Delhi Fire Service (DFS), they received a call regarding the bomb threat at the High Court at 12.25 pm.

“The email was received at the official address of the Delhi High Court at 8.38 am. It was sent by the outlook.com service provider,” a police officer was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

“Soon after getting the call from the High Court, the teams of Bomb Detection Team (BDT), Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS), and Dog Squad, along with the personnel of the fire brigade, were sent. A checking is underway,” the officer added.