Security beefed up in Himachal Pradesh after bomb threats sent to govt office

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 17 (ANI): A major security alert was triggered in Himachal Pradesh after bomb threats were emailed targeting two key government offices, the Chief Secretary's office in the State Secretariat and the Deputy Commissioner's office in Mandi district, on Thursday.
The threat emails claimed that RDX devices had been planted and that explosions would occur at 11:30 AM in the Chief Secretary's office and 1:30 PM in the Mandi DC office.
Speaking to ANI, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena confirmed that two separate emails were received.
"Two emails came in, first, a bomb threat was sent to the DC Mandi office, and shortly after, another message was received threatening the Chief Secretary's office. The second email also referred to an incident from Tamil Nadu and mentioned that a similar device had been planted here." Saxena said.
He said that the authorities acted swiftly. "As soon as the information was received about the DC Mandi office, it was immediately evacuated," said Saxena. Bomb disposal squads, CID, and local law enforcement teams conducted thorough searches at both sites.
"No device of any kind was found at either location. I kept things low profile in my office. I remained in my office until 7:00 PM, and as you can see, I am still here," Saxena added, emphasising that operations at the Secretariat were unaffected. The Mandi DC office also continued to function normally.
Security has been tightened at both locations, with increased monitoring of movement in and around the premises. Army vehicles were seen stationed outside the Secretariat, which Saxena clarified as part of the routine deployment. "These army vehicles were parked outside the Secretariat as part of routine activity," he said.
Interestingly, similar threat emails were reportedly sent to multiple districts in Uttar Pradesh as well.
"It appears similar emails were received in several districts in Uttar Pradesh as well, but no actionable threat emerged from them. Whatever the case, we are not taking this lightly," he said.
He urged the public to remain calm and not to panic."There is no solid evidence to support the claim. These are just emails. The same language was used in the messages to both DC Mandi and the Chief Secretary, with only the names changed. It seems to be a hoax, but we are fully alert," he said.
The emails were reportedly sent through Virtual Private Network (VPN) services, which Saxena identified as a major challenge for investigators. "The biggest challenge is that the emails were sent using VPNS. The police are investigating, and we are fully alert," he said.
He also mentioned coordination with central intelligence agencies to trace the origin of the threats. "The most important issue is that we will also seek the help of central agencies to identify the source of these emails," Saxena added.
He further recalled past incidents, stating, "You may remember that in the last 5-6 months, there were similar threats targeting schools and even airlines. We remain vigilant."
A high-level meeting was held with the Director General of Police and bomb squads to discuss preparedness and future threat responses. Despite the lack of physical evidence, authorities are treating the threats with utmost seriousness and ensuring public safety measures are in place. (ANI)