Panic gripped several courts across West Bengal for the second consecutive day on Wednesday after bomb threat emails were sent to district judges, prompting evacuations and intensive searches, though no explosives were found.
The first threat was reported at the Asansol District and Sessions Court, where an email warning of an imminent blast was received by the District Judge of Paschim Bardhaman on Wednesday morning.
The message claimed that a bomb had been planted inside the court premises.
Acting on the alert, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Asansol-Durgapur) Dhruba Das rushed to the spot, and the court area was cordoned off as police and bomb disposal squads began a search.
A similar situation unfolded at the Siuri District Court in Birbhum.
Court sources said the threatening email was sent to the District Judge shortly before a scheduled hearing at noon.
Following the alert, courtrooms were vacated and security agencies were informed. A police team led by DSP Kunal Chakraborty conducted a thorough search. However, by around 1.30 p.m, no suspicious object had been recovered from either Asansol or Siuri courts.
The bomb scare was not limited to West Bengal.
Interestingly, similar threat email reached the Dhanbad District Court in neighbouring Jharkhand, claiming that RDX had been planted inside the court complex on Wednesday morning.
The premises were immediately evacuated and searched by police and bomb squads.
This is not the first day but similar bomb threat emails had been sent to the Paschim Bardhaman District Court, the City and Sessions Court in Kolkata, and the court in Chinsurah, triggering widespread alarm on Tuesday.
Despite daylong searches at all locations, no explosives or suspicious materials were found. Police are investigating the source of the emails.