A bomb threat sent by email to Pune District and Sessions Court in Shivajinagar halted judicial proceedings on Monday, November 2, and led to the evacuation of judges, lawyers, staff and other people from the court premises. A bomb detection team reached the complex to carry out checks, while the threat also affected traffic in the surrounding area.
According to a report by Lokmat – Pune, the email was received on the court’s official address at around 2.30 pm. It reportedly warned that the court would be blown up at 3.11 pm and also referred to an alleged plan to blow up a metro service at 9.11 pm. The message contained references to Operation Blue Star and Khalistani groups, according to the report.
Court authorities responded by stopping proceedings as a precautionary measure and clearing the entire premises. Judges, advocates and employees were moved outside and gathered at the ground in front of Ashoka Hall. The bomb detection team then began inspecting the court complex. The report did not establish whether any explosive device was found during the checks.
The sudden evacuation drew a crowd around the Shivajinagar court area and affected traffic movement in the locality, with congestion reported for a period. The court complex is located in a busy urban zone with regular movement of litigants, lawyers, court employees and visitors, making an emergency closure an immediate public-safety and mobility issue.
The threat also disrupted the day’s scheduled judicial work. Cases listed for hearing on Monday could not be taken up, and the parties involved were given fresh dates. Litigants and lawyers who had travelled to the court for hearings will therefore need to return on the dates assigned by the court administration.
The origin of the email and the identity of the sender were under investigation, according to the report. The precise purpose behind the message had not been established. The next course of action was expected to depend on the findings of the bomb detection team and the ongoing inquiry into the email.
The incident was not limited to Pune, according to information cited in the report. Similar threat emails were reportedly sent to the administrations of courts in Ahilyanagar and some other districts. Precautionary measures were consequently initiated at the concerned court complexes as well. The report did not provide details of any separate evacuation, disruption or search outcome at those locations.
