Bengaluru, February 16. Bomb threats were sent via email to courts in the Davanagere, Hassan, and Madikeri districts of Karnataka, as well as the High Court bench in Dharwad, causing panic and the suspension of proceedings.
In Davanagere, the district court received a bomb threat via email, allegedly sent by a person from Tamil Nadu to the official email ID of the judge. The message claimed that an RDX bomb had been planted on the court premises and would explode between 8:20 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The email also warned against increasing the reservation quota.
Following the email, court proceedings were immediately halted, and judges, lawyers, and staff evacuated the premises as a precautionary measure. Bomb disposal squads and dog squads were deployed to inspect the court complex. A tense situation prevailed in the area as security personnel conducted a thorough search.
In a similar incident, the district court in Madikeri also received a bomb threat email sent to its official email ID. The message claimed that a bomb had been planted inside the court premises. Following the threat, proceedings were suspended, and lawyers and staff were evacuated.
Authorities began inspecting the court complex, which is located on the outskirts of Madikeri city. Bomb disposal and dog squads were deployed to search the premises.
The High Court bench in Dharwad received a hoax bomb threat email. Lawyers and staff were asked to leave the building as a precaution. The Garag police, which has jurisdiction over the area, rushed to the scene, and bomb disposal and dog squads were deployed to conduct searches.
Fire and emergency personnel later rushed to the court premises and conducted a search under the leadership of SP Gunjan Arya. Meanwhile, lawyers from the Dharwad High Court have urged the government to conduct a digital investigation into the incident.
A bomb threat email was received by the district court in Hassan, following which the Hassan Town Police took up an inspection.
Court staff and lawyers were asked to vacate the premises, and a thorough search is being conducted. The bomb disposal squad and dog squad are checking the parking area, the court premises, and inside the building.
Police are investigating the source of the emails. Further details are awaited.
