Bomb threats at Taj Palace, Max Hospital declared hoax after Delhi Police searches premises

Bomb threats at Taj Palace, Max Hospital declared hoax after Delhi Police searches premises

Bomb threats received through e-mail on Saturday sent Taj Palace and Max Hospital staffers into tizzy which were later declared "hoax" following extensive searches by Delhi Police, an official said.

According to a senior police officer, the Taj Palace hotel in Shalimar Bagh received a bomb threat via e-mail on Saturday morning, while Max Hospital in Dwarka was sent a similar threat in the afternoon. Both threats were declared hoaxes after extensive searches in the premises, he said. "After a through security check authorities have declared the threat a hoax. The safety and security of our guests and employees is of paramount importance to us and we continue to remain vigilant," a Taj Palace spokesperson said.

No immediate reaction was available from Max Hospital. Upon receiving information, multiple teams of the Delhi Police including a bomb disposal squad (BDS), dog squad, and a quick reaction team (QRT) rushed to the scenes, the officer said.
The mail mentioned that there were improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on each floor of the hotel.

"We reached the hotel and launched an extensive search operation. All public areas, parking zones, lobbies, and rooms were thoroughly checked with the help of bomb detection equipment and sniffer dogs," he further said.

However, nothing suspicious was found and the threat was declared a hoax, the officer said.

Police said the e-mail is being traced to determine its origin with cyber teams at work to identify the sender.

This incident comes a day after the Delhi High Court received a similar bomb threat via e-mail, following which the entire court complex was evacuated.

Earlier this week, bomb threats were also sent through e-mail to the Delhi Chief Minister's Secretariat, Maulana Azad Medical College and University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), which were later declared to be hoaxes.