RSS Headquarters, Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office Get Bomb Threats, Probe On

Civic authorities in Maharashtra on Wednesday received bomb threat emails targeting the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, the Chief Minister's Office, and the mayoral offices in Mumbai and Pune, prompting evacuations at some places and security searches, officials said.

Police went into a tizzy after Nagpur Mayor Neeta Thakre received an email claiming an explosive device was planted at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Mahal area Dr Hedgewar Smruti Bhavan in Reshimbagh.

Following the threat, a Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) was immediately rushed to the spot for a thorough search, the officials said, adding that nothing suspicious was found.

Security checks were intensified, and all sensitive areas were being inspected as a precautionary measure.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) received emails "warning" of explosions at multiple locations in the state capital, including the mayor's office and the Chief Minister's Office, officials said.

The emails, sent to many official email IDs of the civic corporation, prompted security agencies to launch an investigation, they said.

According to officials, the emails warned of bomb blasts at the mayor's office, CMO, the BSE building and civic offices. They allegedly contained references to Khalistan and included inflammatory and threatening content targeting various organisations and institutions, BMC officials said.

The emails, with similar content, claimed that an improvised explosive device-laden car would be used to trigger a blast at the Mumbai mayor's office at 1.11 pm. It also allegedly carried bomb threats to the BSE building, the CMO and BMC offices at specified times.

In Pune, the Municipal Corporation's main office and the mayor's office also received an email threatening a bomb blast. The entire main administrative building was evacuated, and a thorough search was carried out by the bomb detection squad, a civic official said.

The email, purportedly sent by a group identifying itself as the Khalistan National Army, threatened a series of IED blasts at the Pune Municipal Corporation mayor's office at 1.11 pm, the Vidhan Bhavan at 3.11 pm, and the RSS headquarters in Nagpur at 3.11 pm, police and civic officials said.

The email claimed that the RSS had supported the 1984 Operation Bluestar and Operation Woodrose, and called for "badla" (revenge) along with the "end" of the BJP and the RSS, they said.

Entry to the PMC premises was prohibited till further orders, the officials said.

Security was stepped up at the civic headquarters and the mayoral offices in Mumbai and Pune, they said.

Investigations were underway to trace the source of the emails, they added.

The police urged people not to panic and assured that all necessary security measures were in place. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)