The Punjab Secretariat received a bomb threat email on Thursday, prompting a swift security response and a comprehensive wide-scale search, reports said.
Authorities conducted an anti-sabotage check at the Punjab Secretariat complex, which also houses the Punjab and Haryana High Court, news agency PTI reported.
The Secretariat is located in Sector 1, Chandigarh, which is a high security zone.
Massive security response
Police, fire officials, bomb squads, dog squads and an ambulance were rushed to the secretariat building, but no suspicious material or explosives were found even after a massive search operation, officials told PTI.
Although there was no evidence that there was a threat, the police still stepped up security around the secretariat.
Last month, the Punjab Secretariat also received a similar threat message which turned out to be a hoax.
Thursday’s scare is the latest in a series of similar threats in schools in Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala and Haryana. So far, all threats have turned out to be hoaxes.
Bomb threats hit schools during CBSE
At least a dozen Noida schools and three schools in Delhi also received bomb threats on Thursday, the day the CBSE Class 12 exams were held.
Students and teachers were evacuated from classrooms as a precaution and taken to designated safe areas while bomb disposal squads and dog squads conducted thorough searches of school premises. Firefighting teams were also on standby at some places, reports said.
“Gautam Buddh Nagar police immediately responded and ensured surveillance in all schools through bomb disposal squad, anti-sabotage detection team and dog squad,” the police said in a statement in response to the threat.
PTI news agency reported that intensive searches are continuing in the schools and nothing suspicious has been found so far.
Police said the technical investigation into the source of the email is being taken with utmost seriousness by the cyber team.
“The situation is completely normal and the place is calm and orderly. People are advised not to pay attention to rumours,” the police said.
(With input from agencies)