Himachal High Court evacuated after bomb threat, panic strikes litigants, lawyers alike
TNR News Network
Shimla
The Himachal Pradesh High Court was placed on high alert on Thursday (January 8, 2025) after an anonymous email warning of a bomb threat triggered an emergency response from security and intelligence agencies. Court proceedings were disrupted as a precautionary evacuation was carried out and intensive checks conducted on the entire premises.
According to officials, the threatening message was received early in the morning on the official email ID of the high court. Acting swiftly, the court administration informed the police, following which multiple security teams rushed to the spot.
Extensive search, no suspicious object found
Bomb disposal squads, dog squads and local police personnel conducted a thorough search of the high court complex. After hours of inspection, authorities confirmed that no suspicious or explosive material was recovered. Officials said the evacuation and checks were undertaken purely as a safety measure to rule out any risk.
The operation caused temporary inconvenience to litigants and staff, but normalcy was gradually restored after the premises were declared safe.
Police begin probe into threat email
Shimla SSP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said all necessary steps had been taken to ensure the safety of judges, staff and visitors. “As soon as information was received, we activated standard security protocols and carried out a comprehensive search of the premises,” he said, adding that an investigation has been launched to trace the origin of the email.
This is not the first such incident as the high court has received similar bomb threats on two earlier occasions as well. The police and cyber teams are now examining technical details to identify those behind the repeated threats.
