Bomb threat email to Bombay High Court; search finds nothing suspicious

The Bombay High Court received an email on Friday threatening a bomb blast. Security agencies went on alert as soon as it arrived, and a search of the entire court premises began.

The search was carried out jointly by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) and the dog squad. Officials said nothing suspicious and no explosive was found.

The High Court is on Diwali vacation, but vacation benches are still functioning. Judges, lawyers and court staff were therefore present on the premises. As a precaution, the security agencies launched the search immediately.

According to preliminary information, the threat email also mentions two other important places in Mumbai: the Mahalaxmi Racecourse and actor Amitabh Bachchan's house, "Jalsa", in Juhu. Security agencies are now reviewing security at all three places.

This is the fifth time in the past six months that an important place in Mumbai has received a threatening email. Similar emails had come earlier on June 10, August 7, October 23 and November 2.

Those emails threatened the Chief Minister's Office, the headquarters of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the Mayor's office, the Bombay Stock Exchange, some schools, Amitabh Bachchan's house and the venue of singer Diljit Dosanjh's concert.

The steady stream of such emails has posed a challenge to the security agencies. The language and manner of threatening in the earlier and the latest emails are being examined. Investigators are also trying to establish whether a single individual or a single organisation is behind all of the incidents.

For now, Mumbai Police are investigating exactly where the latest threat email was sent from, who sent it and what the motive was.