Odisha witnessed another round of fake bomb threats on Monday, disrupting court proceedings in Puri and Kalahandi.
Authorities confirmed that threatening emails warned of explosives inside court premises, sparking panic among lawyers and staff.
In Puri, an anonymous email claimed the court would be blown up. Armed police, bomb squads, and dog squads rushed to the site and conducted a thorough search. Puri City DSP Rashmi Ranjan Mahapatra said investigators found no explosives, confirming the threat was fake. He assured that the police are tracing the sender and strict action will follow. Court activities resumed after the search.
This marks the second such incident in Puri within weeks. A similar email in February also turned out to be false. Recently, courts in Keonjhar and Sambalpur received identical threats, all proven hoaxes.
In Kalahandi, panic spread after the District Judge’s official email received a bomb threat. Police, led by SP Nagaraj Devarakond, immediately deployed cyber teams, bomb squads, and dog squads to inspect the premises. Court work was suspended for the day. Lawyers expressed fear and demanded stronger cyber policing. Ashok Pattnayak, secretary of the District Bar Association, said the threat created serious concern about public safety.
Repeated fake threats have disrupted judicial work across Odisha, raising calls for permanent cybersecurity measures. Officials said investigations are underway to identify the culprits behind the chain of hoax emails.
