Bomb threat emails targeting court complexes in Thane, Pune, Hingoli and Beed triggered evacuations and security searches across Maharashtra on Monday, with police and cybercrime teams investigating whether the messages were a hoax or part of a wider coordinated threat.
In Thane, the court building was evacuated after an email warned that a bomb would explode at 3.30 pm. Personnel from Thane Nagar police station led judges, advocates and court staff out of the complex before bomb detection and disposal squad personnel and a dog squad began a search of the premises.
A police official said nothing suspicious had been found in Thane at the time of the briefing, although the search operation was still under way. The evacuation temporarily disrupted the functioning of a major public institution and required the coordinated deployment of police, specialist search teams and court authorities.
The threat emails also reached courts in Hingoli and Beed in the Marathwada region. In Hingoli, the message came to light after the court opened in the morning. Court authorities informed the police, following which a police team accompanied by bomb detection and disposal personnel began checking the building. Officials said no suspicious object had been found during the search.
In Beed, an email received at 11.52 am warned of a bomb blast at 3.11 pm. The court complex was evacuated, and police, bomb detection and disposal personnel, the local crime branch and a dog squad were sent to the site. Additional Superintendent of Police Shaikh Sameer said teams were conducting sanitisation and search operations.
The most extensive operation was reported at the district and sessions court in Pune’s Shivajinagar area. The premises were evacuated after the court administration received a bomb threat, while police teams continued searching the complex. A Pune police officer said the email might have been a hoax, but the authorities continued to treat the threat as a security matter while the checks were conducted.
Cybercrime teams in Maharashtra are tracing the source of the emails. The Hingoli cybercrime unit has begun examining the messages, while officials in Beed said cyber teams were verifying the origin of the IP address. Authorities are investigating whether the threats were linked to a hoax or an unannounced drill.
The incidents placed court complexes, which bring together judges, lawyers, litigants, staff and security personnel, under simultaneous security alert. The police response involved evacuations, access control, specialist detection teams and searches before normal operations could be assessed. Further official updates are expected after the searches and cyber investigations are completed.
