AHMEDABAD: A series of chilling bomb threat emails plunged Gujarat into a security emergency after unknown persons warned of coordinated explosions at some of the state's most sensitive government establishments.
The threats, allegedly issued in the name of the "Khalistan National Army", claimed that the Chief Minister's Office would be targeted at 1:11 pm, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) headquarters at 3:11 pm, and an RSS office at 5:11 pm, triggering panic across Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
The emails immediately activated the state's security machinery. Police teams, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), fire brigade personnel and cyber crime experts were deployed to the threatened locations, while intensive searches were launched to rule out any possibility of an actual attack.
The biggest impact was seen at the AMC's Danapith headquarters, where officials promptly evacuated the entire building. As news of the threat spread, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Standing Committee Chairman, ruling party leaders and civic staff were moved out of the premises, while security forces sealed and sanitised the complex.
The bomb scare came at a politically sensitive moment, with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in New Delhi for a scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the threat message surfaced. The timing added another layer of seriousness, prompting security agencies to closely monitor all vulnerable locations.
Investigators said the threatening emails were sent from different email IDs, suggesting a possible attempt to create widespread panic through a coordinated digital operation. Cyber crime teams are tracing the origin of the messages, examining technical evidence and trying to identify those responsible.
AMC Standing Committee Chairman Kamlesh Patel said the administration acted immediately after receiving the email.
"As soon as the threatening email reached us, police and fire brigade teams immediately began checking the entire premises and the building was evacuated without delay. Such messages are often intended to spread fear among people, but every threat is treated with utmost seriousness. The sender will be identified, the source of the email will be traced and strict legal action will follow," he said.
Meanwhile, exhaustive searches at the Chief Minister's Office, the AMC headquarters and other sensitive locations have not yielded any suspicious objects so far. Although the alerts appear to have been a hoax, investigators are treating the case as a serious cyber and security offence.
Police are now focusing on three key questions: who sent the emails, where they originated from, and whether the threats were part of a larger conspiracy aimed at creating fear and disrupting public order in Gujarat.