Lucknow: Bomb threat emails sent to court complexes in 19 districts of Uttar Pradesh, including key religious cities such as Ayodhya and Varanasi, as well as the state capital Lucknow, triggered widespread panic on Friday.
In Lucknow, the court premises were immediately evacuated after an email warned of an explosive device inside the complex. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vishwajit Srivastava and other senior officials rushed to the spot. Bomb disposal squads and dog squads carried out extensive searches across the premises.
After several hours of search operations, the threat in Lucknow was declared a hoax.
Judges, lawyers, and litigants had vacated the courtrooms and gathered outside during the operation. Officials expressed relief after confirming there was no explosive device.
Similar alerts were issued in Ayodhya and Varanasi, where court proceedings were temporarily halted and premises cleared as a precaution. In Varanasi, teams from the Uttar Pradesh ATS and STF also joined the search operations.
In Mirzapur and Meerut, suspicious objects and individuals were checked thoroughly.
Authorities appealed to people not to pay heed to rumors and to maintain calm.
Security has been tightened at court complexes across the state. Cyber teams are investigating the origin of the threatening emails. While the Lucknow alert has been confirmed as fake, investigations in other districts are ongoing. Officials said all agencies remain on high alert.
