KOLKATA: In a chilling repeat, multiple courts in West Bengal received fresh bomb threats via email on Wednesday, just a day after seven courts, including the Calcutta High Court, faced similar intimidations. The menacing messages targeted district judges, sparking immediate panic and prompting authorities to ramp up security measures across judicial premises.
The first alert came from the Asansol District and Sessions Court in West Burdwan, where the district judge received an email claiming a bomb had been planted in the complex and was set to detonate soon. Police Commissioner Dhruba Das of Asansol-Durgapur rushed to the scene, ordering a swift evacuation. Lawyers, staff, and litigants were ushered out as bomb disposal squads combed the area.
A similar scare unfolded at the Birbhum district court in Suri. Sources confirmed the judge there also got a threatening email before noon hearings, leading to an evacuation and heightened alert. Extensive searches by police and anti-bomb units at both Asansol and Suri courts until around 2 PM yielded no explosives, but the incidents sowed widespread fear.
Preliminary probes suggest these could be hoaxes by mischief-makers, yet officials aren’t taking chances. The ripple effect extended to neighboring Jharkhand’s Dhanbad court, where an email claimed RDX was planted, triggering evacuations and searches there too.
With back-to-back threats over two days, anxiety grips judges, advocates, and the public. West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravarty convened an emergency high-level meeting at the state secretariat. Addressing a press conference, she reassured the public: ‘Securing our courts is our top priority. There’s no need to panic, but stay vigilant.’ She urged citizens to report suspicious activities and ignore rumors.
Meanwhile, the cyber crime wing has launched a full investigation, tracing digital footprints to unmask the perpetrators. As judicial operations resume under bolstered security, questions loom over the motive behind these serial threats targeting Bengal’s justice system.