Footfall dips at Gaya court a day after hoax bomb threat

Gaya: A day after a hoax message threatening RDX explosions in Gaya civil court, a noticeably lower presence of people, particularly litigants and lawyers, was witnessed on Friday. While relief prevailed after the threat turned out to be a prank, full confidence among court visitors is yet to be restored and normalcy may take some time, according to insiders. Vigilance levels around the court premises and other parts of the town have been increased.

Gaya Bar Association president Syed Sharfuddin said the response of the security agencies was prompt and effective, but apprehensions continue.

Speaking about court proceedings, the bar association president said most judicial officers held court, but in several cases adjournments were sought by clients on one pretext or another. He added that the absence of some judicial officers, who are currently on training, should also be considered while assessing the overall situation.

Senior lawyer Ashok Kumar called for a more discreet and unobtrusive response to such situations, saying that the panic was at least partly avoidable. “Such threats invariably turn out to be fake and designed solely to create confusion and panic and to that extent the mischief makers succeeded in their game plan,” he said. Kumar added that real saboteurs do not issue advance warnings and stressed the need for a more nuanced response to avoid unnecessary fear and inconvenience. “The protocol for such eventualities needed a revisit,” he said, adding that the right balance between effectiveness and discretion was required.

Former DGP Abhyanand said the Bihar Police was currently not adequately equipped to deal with emerging cyber threats. “With the existing technique available with the police, it was very difficult to identify the source of such mischief,” he said, suggesting that the police should seek support from the CBI to share expertise and train personnel in handling cyber offences.

On the progress of the investigation, city SP Ramand Kumar Kaushal said it was moving in the right direction but declined to share details. “It would not be prudent to share details at this stage,” he said.