Bengal courts handling SIR work face bomb hoax threats; security tightened

KOLKATA: Identical hoax emails from rameeza_hussain@hotmail.com, threatening suicide bomb attacks and RDX blasts, landed in the inboxes of district judges supervising SIR verification work in Kolkata, West Burdwan, Hooghly and Murshidabad at 7.59am on Tuesday.

The mail prompted police to conduct anti-sabotage drill with sniffer dogs and bomb disposal squads in at least six courts, but the searches drew a blank. Chief secretary Nandini Chakravorty later said the email was a hoax and that the Bengal govt would provide “maximum security” to judges and courts. She urged litigants and lawyers not to panic.




Cybersecurity units in Kolkata and Bengal police are working to trace the email’s origin. The mail, written in Bengali, said the attacks would be launched by Maoists from Tamil Nadu and Pakistan’s ISI.

“The emails followed the same pattern. We are investigating whether one or more persons are involved,” Chakravorty. Asked if the threats were aimed at derailing the verification of SIR documents by judges, the chief secretary said, “District judges are working. Time is short. The state govt ensured their protection and support.”

Bengal chief electoral officer Manoj Agarwal said the matter was being thoroughly investigated. Pointing out that judges have been involved in the verification of SIR documents following a Supreme Court order, the CEO said, “Police will definitely look into this. It is their responsibility. The security of the judges must be ensured. The DGP will provide security using central forces. The DGP will utilise the state police. We will not be deploying central forces independently at this time.”

DGP Peeyush Pandey said police were “fully prepared” to neutralise any threat. Referring to the threat mail received by the chief judge of the City Sessions Court (Bankshall Court), Kolkata’s police commissioner Supratim Sarkar told reporters, “The bomb disposal squad of the detective department immediately reached the spot and we spoke to the judges. We carried out a full search but found nothing. It was established to be a fake mail. Anyone trying to spread panic will face stern legal action.”

Till late in the evening, senior police officers, including additional CP DP Singh and joint CP (crime) Rupesh Kumar, were monitoring security at Bankshall Court. The court functioned normally, but attendance was thin because a section of lawyers stayed away from courtrooms to mourn the death of a colleague.

Tension gripped the Asansol District Court premises following the bomb threat. The district judge suspended proceedings and the judges were moved to safe locations on the premises. Cops, accompanied by sniffer dogs, searched the complex. Similar events unfolded at the Durgapur court.

In Hooghly, a team from the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate, accompanied by bomb and dog squads, searched the Chinsurah district judge’s court. Proceedings were temporarily disrupted. Chandannagar police commissioner Koteswar Rao said the special branch was involved to conduct “special surveillance” in the court compound.

Murshidabad police superintendent Dhritiman Sarkar directed officers experienced in investigating cybercrime to identify the source of the email received by the district judge.