Bomb threat email to Nagpur civic chief; two-hour search of NMC headquarters finds nothing

An email threatening to blow up the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) headquarters and the Mayor's office, sent to the municipal commissioner's official email address, caused alarm in the city. The email arrived at 1.27 pm. It also warned of an attack on a major music event to be held on Saturday.

Police and security agencies went into action as soon as the email was received and began an intensive check. As the event named in the email is due on Saturday, the administration is now on alert. It has been said that similar emails have been sent to various places over the past few days. No untoward incident has occurred so far, but the administration is not taking the matter lightly.

The threatening message was sent from an email ID named "smithsteve0941" to the commissioner's official address and another authorised NMC ID. The sender gave the name Steve Smith and listed "Khalistan National Army" and two other names below it. According to sources, the message is written in broken English mixed with Punjabi.

The email makes several serious threats. It speaks of a bomb attack on the NMC building and the Mayor's office in the afternoon. It threatens a car bomb blast at a major event in Mumbai. It also mentions targeting Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, banks and courts. An attack with an iPhone bomb is threatened at some large events on November 27 and December 31. The message also uses language about avenging the events of 1984.

Soon after the email arrived, the IT department of the commissioner's office informed the Police Commissioner. At 2 pm, a joint team of the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), the dog squad and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) reached the NMC headquarters in Civil Lines. The team carefully checked all floors, the parking area and the record room. The search, which lasted about two hours, found nothing suspicious. Civic work was halted briefly during the check and resumed once the situation was clear.

The email also threatens the music evening to be held at 6 pm on Saturday, November 14, at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Kachhiwisa Maidan in Lakadganj. Singers Pawandeep Rajan, known from Indian Idol, and Chetna Bhardwaj are to perform. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari are also expected to attend.

The cyber police have begun the process of registering a case under Sections 351(4) and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66F of the Information Technology (IT) Act. Police are conducting a technical investigation to trace the real source of the email and the sender.