Kolkata's Indian Museum gets bomb threat, search yields nothing

Kolkata's Indian Museum gets bomb threat, search yields nothing

Authorities of Kolkata's iconic Indian Museum on January 5 received an email claiming bombs were planted inside, prompting police to launch a search operation at the over 200-year-old repository, officials said. However, no explosive could be found during the three-hour operation, they said.

We conducted a thorough search of the building, but no bomb was found, a senior police officer told PTI. Public entry inside the museum was also put on hold for the day, he said.

"The threat mail stated that several bombs were planted inside the Indian Museum, and those would explode any moment," the officer said. Personnel of the bomb squad of Kolkata Police started the search and sanitisation operation at the museum around 11.30 am.

Apart from the bomb squad, sniffer dogs, a quick response team (QRT) and a huge contingent of police were positioned in and around the building in central Kolkata, he said. The cyber section of police has also started a probe to trace the source of the email, the officer added.

Founded in 1814, the Indian Museum is the earliest and the largest multipurpose museum not only in the Indian sub-continent, but also in the Asia-Pacific region, as per information on its website.