Rajasthan High Court and District Courts Targeted by Bomb Threats
The principal seat of the Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur, its Jaipur bench, and the district and sessions court in Ajmer were once again targeted with bomb threats on Friday, causing widespread panic and leading to a significant escalation in security measures across judicial facilities in the state.
Immediate Response and Evacuation
Upon receiving the threats, court authorities promptly alerted the police, resulting in the immediate evacuation of all three premises as a precautionary measure. Security forces, including bomb disposal squads, dog squads, and specialized teams, were swiftly deployed to the locations. Standard operating procedures were meticulously followed to ensure a thorough and safe response to the potential danger.
Extensive Searches Yield No Explosives
After conducting extensive and detailed searches across the court complexes, senior police officials confirmed that no explosive devices or suspicious materials were discovered at any of the sites. The registrar of the Rajasthan High Court received an email on Friday morning threatening to detonate the high court premises, with the message claiming that three powerful RDX bombs had been planted within the campus.
In response, security agencies launched a comprehensive search operation throughout the court complex. At the Jaipur bench, court proceedings were temporarily suspended to allow security teams to perform intensive checks in courtrooms, judges' chambers, and advocates' chambers. Following several hours of rigorous scanning, authorities declared the campus safe, allowing entry for lawyers and litigants to be restored and court work to resume later in the day.
Similar Threats in Jodhpur and Ajmer
A parallel security operation was executed at the high court's principal seat in Jodhpur after the Registrar there also received a threatening email. Despite thorough inspections, no suspicious objects were detected during the checks. Additionally, a bomb threat was reported at the district and sessions court in Ajmer, where officials stated that the district collector received an email alleging that 13 RDX bombs had been planted inside the court complex. Security agencies immediately initiated checks at this location as well, but no explosives were found.
History of Repeated Threats
The Rajasthan High Court has been subjected to such threats on multiple occasions in the past. Notably, last year alone, six bomb threats were reported, including five threatening emails received on consecutive days in December. Despite these repeated incidents, the individuals or groups responsible for issuing the threats remain unidentified, raising concerns about ongoing security challenges for judicial institutions in the state.
The persistent nature of these threats underscores the need for enhanced vigilance and robust security protocols to protect critical infrastructure and ensure the safety of all court personnel and visitors.
