Bomb Threat Emails Trigger Massive Security Alert Across Gujarat

GANDHINAGAR : A wave of bomb threat emails sent to municipal corporations in four major Gujarat cities triggered panic and prompted a large-scale security response on Tuesday, forcing authorities to evacuate civic offices and launch intensive searches.

The offices of the Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar Municipal Corporations received threatening emails addressed to the Municipal Commissioners and Mayors. The messages allegedly carried threats in the name of the “Khalistan National Army” and contained inflammatory references to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

“As a precautionary measure, all standard security protocols were immediately activated. Police teams, senior officers, dog squads and bomb detection units were deployed to thoroughly inspect the premises,” a police official said.

Following the threats, employees and visitors were evacuated from the municipal buildings while bomb disposal teams combed the premises. No suspicious object had been reported till late evening, officials said.

The scare extended beyond civic offices as parents of students at Navrachana School in Vadodara also reportedly received threatening emails. However, concerns eased after school authorities dismissed classes and coordinated with security agencies.

The latest threats come days after similar emails targeting key government and public institutions in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. Those messages had threatened explosions at the Chief Minister’s Office, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and RSS offices at specific times. Investigations into those threats also found no explosive devices.

“The origin of the emails is being traced and cyber experts have been roped in. We are treating the matter with utmost seriousness,” a senior security official said.

Authorities have urged citizens to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information as investigations continue into the coordinated threat campaign.