JALANDHAR, Sept 30: Security agencies in Punjab were placed on high alert on Wednesday after several private schools in Jalandhar and Amritsar received bomb threat emails ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled address at a statewide anti-drug event.
The emails, received at around 7 am, claimed that explosive devices had been planted at multiple locations, including schools, court complexes, places of worship and the rally venue at Paragpur.
School authorities promptly informed the police after receiving the threats, following which students and staff were evacuated from the affected campuses as a precautionary measure.
More Read
Police teams, along with bomb disposal squads and anti-sabotage personnel, launched searches at the schools and other locations mentioned in the emails. Security personnel carried out detailed sweeps of the premises to rule out any threat.
Cybercrime teams were also brought in to investigate the electronic communications and trace their source, including the IP addresses associated with the threat emails.
The threats also prompted security agencies to strengthen arrangements around the venue of Shah’s scheduled programme and along his travel route.
Authorities increased surveillance and deployed additional personnel, while multi-layer security checkpoints were established around sensitive locations and the event venue.
Officials said the enhanced security measures were aimed at ensuring the safety of the public and preventing any untoward incident during the Home Minister’s visit.
