Bomb scare at Punjab Secretariat: Bomb squads, dogs, ambulances rushed in after hoax mail

The Punjab Secretariat received a bomb threat e-mail on Thursday, prompting quick security response and a complex-wide search, news reports said.

Authorities carried out an anti-sabotage check at the Punjab Secretariat complex, which also houses the Punjab and Haryana High Court, reported news agency PTI.

The Secretariat is located at Sector-1 in Chandigarh, which is a high-security zone.

Massive security response

Police, fire brigade officials, bomb squads, dog squads and an ambulance were rushed to the Secretariat building but even after an extensive search operation, no suspicious material or explosives were found, officials told PTI.

Although there is no evidence of there being a threat, police have nevertheless stepped up security around the Secretariat.

Last month too, the Punjab Secretariat received a similar threat mail, which turned out to be a hoax.

Thursday's scare is the latest in a series of similar threats in Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala and Haryana schools. All of the threats, thus far, have turned out to be hoaxes.

Bomb threats hit schools during CBSE

At least a dozen Noida schools and three Delhi schools also received bomb threats on Thursday, on a day when CBSE Class 12 board examinations were underway.

Students and teachers were moved out of classrooms and taken to designated safe areas as a precaution, while bomb disposal squads and dog squads conducted thorough searches of school premises. Fire department teams were also kept on standby at some locations, reports said.

"The Gautam Buddh Nagar Police reacted immediately and ensured checking in all the schools through the bomb disposal squad, anti-sabotage check team and dog squad," police said in a statement, reacting to the threat.

News agency PTI reported that Intensive searches are continuing at schools and nothing suspicious has been found so far.

Police said a technical investigation into the source of the email is being carried out by the cyber team with utmost seriousness.

"The situation is completely normal and peace and order prevail at the spot. People are advised not to pay attention to rumours," police said.

(With inputs from agencies)