Shimla/ Nahan (HP), Jul 9 (PTI) District courts in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla, Kullu and Nahan on Wednesday received bomb threats via emails, police said.
Authorities swung into action and the premises of district courts in Shimla, Nahan, Kullu and Rampur were immediately evacuated, they said.
Bomb and dog squads were deployed and a detailed inspection of the court buildings and surrounding areas is being conducted, the police said.
So far, no explosives or suspicious items have been found, they said.
Shimla SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI that emails threatening to blow up court premises in several places, including Shimla and Rampur, were received on Wednesday.
Preventative actions are being taken, and police teams headed by DSP-level officers are on the spot, he added.
The threat prompted an immediate evacuation and heightened security to ensure the safety of the public and court staff, the police said.
SP Gandhi said the Himachal Pradesh Police are coordinating with other states that received similar threats, and an investigation is underway to trace the accused.
Meanwhile, Sirmaur Additional Superintendent of Police Yogesh Rolta said the Nahan District court received a bomb threat in the morning after which the entire complex was evacuated as a precaution.
According to official sources, the email was noticed at 10 am when the staff opened office computer to carry out judicial work.
They said that as per the security protocol, the information about the bomb threat was given to the police, besides immediately vacating the court complex.
Rolta said all aspects of this incident were being investigated thoroughly. He appealed to the general public not to pay attention to rumours and said that all security arrangements have been made with diligence.
Former President of Nahan Bar Association Amit Atri said that after the threat email, the court complex was completely evacuated. Keeping security in mind, all advocates and litigants are maintaining distance from the court till the investigation is completed.
In recent months, similar bomb threats were received at the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, HP Secretariat, and Deputy Commissioner's offices.
However, all of them turned out to be hoaxes.