Cuttack: Judicial proceedings in several courts, including the Orissa High Court, were Thursday disrupted after the authorities received an anonymous email threatening to damage the premises, prompting police to launch search operations at different places, officials said.
The authorities received an email in Odia where the sender threatened to cause damage to the district judge courts in Cuttack, Sambalpur and Deogarh, they said.
“An anonymous email containing a threat to damage court premises by 2.35 pm has been received at several courts. The police have taken cognisance of the matter and initiated a thorough investigation,” a statement issued by police headquarters said.
Odisha DGP Y B Khurania said, “As a precautionary measure, police are checking, and enhanced security arrangements have been put in place at all concerned locations. The situation is under close monitoring.”
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has expressed deep concern over the news of bomb threats to district courts in Sambalpur, Cuttack and Deogarh and directed high-ranking officers to investigate the incident and find out the truth, a statement issued by the CMO said.
Majhi held discussions with the chief secretary, the additional chief secretary of the Home Department and the Director General of Police. He advised authorities to monitor the situation and ordered them to find out the culprits involved immediately.
The chief minister said that no complacency can be maintained in the field of protecting the livelihood of the common people. He asked officials to take this incident very seriously and conduct an investigation, as well as send officials to the relevant places to collect detailed information in this regard and find out the real motive behind such incidents.
The chief minister will conduct a complete review of the incident in a high-level meeting in this regard this evening.
The DGP also advised the public not to panic and to cooperate with the police in maintaining security and assisting the investigation.
Sources said that the email claimed explosives had been placed on the premises of district courts in Cuttack, Sambalpur, and Deogarh.
Though there is no such threat mail for the high court, the police have vacated the HC premises in Cuttack and are conducting a search operation by engaging sniffer dogs, bomb disposal squad and additional personnel conducting thorough searches while closely monitoring entry and exit points.
However, no suspicious devices or items have been found during the inspections.
Advocate General P Acharya said it is most likely a hoax email.
In the wake of the threat mail, the court proceedings in different places were suspended. The judges, lawyers and litigants have come out of the court premises, leaving the premises to the police for proper inspection.
Meanwhile, cyber experts have been asked to immediately trace the origin of the emails, and police have assured that strict action will be taken against those responsible.
