Ahmedabad: An anonymous email threatening bomb blasts at several locations across Gujarat, including the Somnath temple and BJP offices in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, triggered a massive security alert on Monday. Extensive searches were conducted at the sites mentioned in the email, but no suspicious object was found. Police later said the threat was a hoax.The communication was initially received by the Punjab Police and subsequently forwarded to the Gujarat Police by the Punjab director general of police. It referred to the Somnath temple, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, the BJP’s central office, police personnel and intelligence agency RAW. The email reportedly claimed that bombs had already been planted at various locations and also mentioned Pakistan and Khalistan.The message prompted the State Intelligence Bureau to alert local police, Ahmedabad assistant commissioner of police (C-Division) Advait Gandhi said. Bomb squads and police teams were then rushed to the sites, he added.“Apart from the BJP office in Khanpur, inputs were received regarding the Somnath temple, the BJP headquarters in Koba, Gandhinagar, and a couple of other locations. Operations are currently under way at those places,” Gandhi said.He added that the email contained “information regarding a bomb blast”.The most intensive operation was launched at Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district.Somnath Temple, revered as the country’s first Jyotirlinga, is considered a highly sensitive location from a security perspective. In charge DySP (Veraval) M F Chaudhary said the temple has a two-tier security arrangement even on normal days. “All officers, including those off duty, were called in. Temple security personnel, local police, crime branch officials, SOG personnel, bomb squads and quick response teams were mobilised to search the temple premises and adjoining administrative areas, he said.Chaudhari said devotees were briefly moved out of the temple premises for around 10 minutes to facilitate the anti-sabotage operation. Police teams also checked hotels and kept watch for suspicious persons in the area.“We received information about the threat through our control room. But where it came from is a subject of investigation,” the DySP said.The latest threat comes days after similar warnings targeting Gujarat assembly, Gandhinagar court and a school in Ahmedabad were reported on Sept 10.
