Pic: Dharwad bench of Karnataka high court being evacuated after bomb threatDharwad/Mysuru/Bagalkot: A sense of panic prevailed at Dharwad bench of the Karnataka high court and the district courts in Gadag, Bagalkot, and Mysuru, on Tuesday after bomb threat emails were received at the court’s official email id.Following the threats, the high court premises was evacuated and court proceedings were suspended for the day. Security was immediately heightened at the court complex on PB Road, Dharwad.According to the mail sent to the district courts, bombs had allegedly been placed at multiple locations within the district court, and that that blasts would be carried out by the sender’s staff during lunch break.The email sent to the Dharwad high court, was sent to the additional registrar general (ARG) warning of a RDX blast in the high court premises before 1.55 pm, Tuesday. ARG Shanateveer Shantappa forwarded the message to SP Gunjan Arya who rushed to the court with bomb detection squad and dog squad.More than 100 police personnel of various ranks were deployed to conduct thorough search operations. After thorough check up it was concluded that the email was a hoax. The ARG after consulting the police decided that the proceedings would resume. The advocates, staff, clients and judges were allowed to enter the court rooms after frisking. There were nine judges in the Dharwad high court.Similar precautionary measures were taken in Gadag and Bagalkot as well. Police evacuated the court complexes and tightened security as a preventive measure.Investigations are underway to trace the source of the emails. President of the High Court Advocates’ Association BD Hiremath said there is need to enhance the security in high court premises.Threat disrupts Mysuru courts proceedingsProceedings in more than 40 court rooms were deferred after the office of the principal district and sessions judge (PDJ), Mysuru, received a bomb threat mail, around 10.40 am, 20 minutes before the start of the day’s proceedings. Police commissioner Seema Latkar said that soon after police were informed, a search was carried out with dog squads and anti-sabotage check teams, and later it turned out to be a hoax. S Lokesh, president of Mysuru Bar Association, said that after the police confirmed it as a hoax, court proceedings commenced around 3 pm.
