HOAX BOMB THREAT TRIGGERS SECURITY SCARE AT FEROZEPUR COURT AHEAD OF I-DAY

Vikram Ditya Sharma/Ferozepur

A bomb threat received by the Ferozepur district court complex on Wednesday morning triggered a security scare in the border district, prompting police to evacuate the premises and launch an extensive anti-sabotage operation. The threat, however, turned out to be a hoax.

The incident came just two days ahead of the State-level Independence Day function and put security agencies on high alert. The court complex was evacuated immediately after the threat was received, while teams of the Bomb Disposal Squad and Dog Squad were rushed to the spot.

The teams conducted a detailed search of the court premises and adjoining areas, while police personnel checked different sections of the complex to rule out any possible threat. No suspicious or objectionable material was found during the search.

As a precautionary measure, court proceedings remained suspended till 1 pm, after which routine work resumed.

Station House Officer, Cantonment, Sukhbir Singh said the entire court complex had been thoroughly checked and nothing suspicious had been recovered. He said additional security personnel had been deployed and all necessary precautions were being taken to prevent any untoward incident.

He said the police would not allow any anti-social element to disrupt the security arrangements, particularly in view of the Independence Day celebrations.

District Bar Association President Advocate Lovejeet Singh said such incidents cause inconvenience to people, particularly those who travel from far-off areas to attend court hearings. He urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation and identify those responsible for creating panic and disrupting normal proceedings.

This is the third hoax bomb threat received by the district court this year, raising concerns over repeated attempts to create panic through such threats.

Earlier, a similar hoax threat email had been received on the official email address of the Municipal Council, following which the area was evacuated and thoroughly searched by the city police. No suspicious material was found and normal work resumed later.

Sources said that some educational institutions in the district had also reportedly received similar threat emails, prompting security agencies to remain particularly vigilant ahead of Independence Day.