There was panic and increased security on Tuesday in the Surat District Court following a bomb threat that was sent to the authorities, and it was immediately responded to by the police and district administration. The threat has prompted the realization of a full-scale search operation to which bomb disposal teams and bomb-dog squads have been deployed to scrutinize the inside and outside of the court premises.
The officials said the threat came in the form of an anonymous message that notified the authorities that there might be an explosive device within the court complex. The information was taken with the highest degree of seriousness, and the police immediately issued emergency security measures to achieve the security of the judges, lawyers, court personnel, litigants, and visitors at the district court.
The alert was instantly followed by the arrival of local police, special bomb detection teams and dog squads at the scene and a thorough search was undertaken. The entrances and exits of the court complex were under surveillance, and the security guards made a detailed check of courtrooms, corridors, offices, parking zones and adjoining areas. To be on the safe side, movement in the premises was limited during the operation.
Another special decision made by the district administration was to tighten security measures, which guaranteed the coordination of activities of the police, intelligence services, and the courts. According to the officials, such measures are normal operational procedures whenever sensitive public institutions receive threat alerts. Though the discovery of a suspicious object had not been confirmed at all, when the report was made, the search was given until the whole area was cleared, as far as possible.
According to police department sources, the threats of bombs, whether real or hoaxes, are considered serious security issues because there is are large number of people walking within the court complexes. Courts are delicate places where the security of the people is of the utmost concern. We cannot risk anything at all, one of the senior officials said.
In the meantime, the police have embarked on a mission to track the source of the threat. To determine if the message was meant to disorient the masses or cause panic, cybercrime teams are analyzing the digital evidence in order to establish the sender. In case it is proved to be a hoax, legal measures will be taken seriously against the culprits, the representatives said.
Similar bomb threats had been reported to various courts and other institutions in Gujarat as well as other states in recent months, with most of the threats being proven to be false. Nevertheless, the law enforcement agencies point out that any such notification must be followed by a comprehensive security reaction to eliminate the possible threats.
Things at the Surat District Court were under control, and authorities promised normal operations would only commence after the property is properly inspected and swept by police forces.
