Bomb hoax disrupts HC proceedings for 2 hours

Bombay High Court proceedings halted for two hours due to a bomb threat email. Police found it a hoax after thorough checks; operations resumed later.

MUMBAI: Proceedings at the Bombay High Court were stalled for two hours on Friday after an email sent to the court’s official email address threatened the iconic court building would be blown up. All court staff, lawyers and litigants were asked to vacate the court premises around 1pm, and proceedings resumed at 3pm, after the police thoroughly checked the court complex and found nothing suspicious.

Bomb hoax disrupts HC proceedings for 2 hours

“A thorough search of the entire high court premises was carried out and it was found that the threat was a hoax,” deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Pravin Mundhe told reporters.

The court generally rises for an hour-long lunch break at 2pm. After the email arrived around 1pm, the chief justice circulated a note regarding the bomb scare and sent a request to the bar associations – Bombay Bar Association and the Advocates Association of Western India – to instruct their members to step out urgently because of the security concern.

Soon after, lawyers, litigants and court staff were seen rushing out through the three gates opposite the Central Telegraph Office building, Flora fountain, and Mumbai University.

“Judges rose immediately after getting a message from the court associate. We were all told about the bomb threat via email and asked to vacate the court premises immediately,” Raunak Utagikar, a lawyer present in the court during the incident said.

Senior police officials including DCP Mundhe and the bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) soon reached the court premises and conducted a thorough search. Judges of the court, which was operating at near full strength, remained in the building during the process, said officials.

Proceedings resumed after lunch at 3pm after the police found nothing suspicious.

The Azad Maidan police subsequently registered an offence in the matter against unknown people. The email was likely sent using the darknet, suspect police.