Ranchi — Bomb threat emails targeting key government offices and court complexes triggered panic across Jharkhand on Thursday, prompting authorities to step up security in several districts, including Ranchi, Dhanbad and Sahibganj.
Officials said threatening emails warning of explosions were sent to the Ranchi Collectorate and the civil courts in Dhanbad and Sahibganj. Following the alerts, police and security agencies launched extensive search operations and tightened security at the affected locations.
In Ranchi, a threat received on the Deputy Commissioner’s official email led to a thorough search of the Collectorate by bomb disposal squads. The operation continued for several hours. Similar precautionary measures were taken in Dhanbad and Sahibganj, where court proceedings were briefly disrupted.
In Sahibganj, teams led by Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Singh evacuated the Rajmahal and Sahibganj court complexes. Dog squads and security personnel carried out detailed checks of the premises.
This marks the second bomb threat to the Dhanbad Civil Court within a fortnight. Earlier, emails had warned of explosions at the Ranchi Civil Court using “cyanide bombs”, while another message mentioned “RDX”. Similar threats were also reported at the Bokaro Civil Court and a Passport Seva Kendra.
Preliminary investigations by police suggest an inter-state connection, with officials suspecting the emails originated from Tamil Nadu. A person identified as Uday Reddy has emerged as a key suspect, reportedly linked to a legal dispute and believed to be targeting judicial and administrative institutions.
Police are examining whether the accused acted alone or as part of a larger network. A special team of Jharkhand Police is expected to travel to Tamil Nadu to apprehend him.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened across sensitive installations in the state, with additional personnel deployed and metal detectors installed as precautionary measures.
With inputs from IANS