Civil courts receive fresh bomb threats in Bihar, police yet to trace source

Patna: Several civil courts in the state, including those in Patna, Aurangabad and Bhagalpur, were evacuated on Monday morning after authorities received bomb threat emails, prompting heightened security and suspension of judicial proceedings. The email, sent to the courts’ official addresses and the District Bar Association, warned of multiple improvised explosive devices (IEDs) allegedly containing RDX.

Patna SSP Kartikeya K Sharma said the bomb threat email received by the civil court appeared to be a hoax. “The email was received by the registrar of Patna civil court on Monday morning. The cyber cell is attempting to trace the IP address of this email and the pattern linking these incidents. The case was lodged at Pirbahore police station and the investigation is underway,” he told TOI.




Speaking specifically on the source of the emails, Sharma said investigators have so far drawn a blank. “We are trying to trace the source, but so far we have not been able to find out where these emails are coming from, who is sending them, or whether there is any connection between all these emails. It is also difficult to say from where the senders are sending these emails. Help has been taken from the cyber cell team and the investigation is ongoing,” he said.

On Monday, security was stepped up across all court premises and key judicial proceedings were cancelled as police, along with bomb disposal squads and dog units, carried out extensive searches. No explosives were found at any of the locations.

At Patna civil court, the message triggered panic, leading to the evacuation of the entire premises. Lawyers, judges, litigants and staff were asked to vacate their chambers while prisoners and witnesses were turned away. The court complex was sealed and entry was restricted. Police from Pirbahore police station, along with multiple teams, conducted thorough searches of the premises.

The email read, “3 RDX IEDs made from C-4 RDX were already placed at appropriate locations in the building. 1 or 2 members will approach the court during lunchtime, carrying remote-controlled triggers. When they come within 100 feet of the building, the IEDs will automatically detonate. If, for some reason, they fail to activate, the members will enter the court building and blow themselves up along with all the lawyers, similar to Sri Lanka’s Easter Operation (sic).”

The threat coincided with the expected court appearance of Purnia MP Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav, in a 31-year-old case related to the alleged fraudulent renting of a room. Yadav’s bail hearing in the cheating and forgery case, involving alleged fake rental documents, was deferred due to the evacuation.

Shivnandan Bharti, advocate for the MP, said the bail application could not be taken up due to the evacuation. “We will apply for bail on Tuesday (Feb 10). My client shall have to spend another day in jail,” he said.

In Aurangabad, a similar email was received at the civil court, leading to evacuation and coordination with IT experts to trace the sender. In Bhagalpur, the civil court received a comparable warning, prompting evacuation and an ongoing probe by the bomb squad.

This was the third major series of such threats this year. On Jan 8, 2026, courts in Patna and several other districts received similar emails, some claiming links to banned outfits such as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), leading to evacuations and searches that yielded no explosives. Another round of threats on Jan 28 affected five districts, including Bhagalpur, with warnings of midday blasts, all of which were later confirmed to be hoaxes.