Odisha courts receive bomb threat, police launch investigation

Cuttack (Odisha) [India], January 8 : Director General of Police (DGP) Odisha, Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, on Thursday reported a bomb threat received at several courts in the state through an anonymous e-mail, adding that security has been enhanced at all concerned locations.
The DGP informed that the police have taken cognisance and are "closely monitoring the situation."
"An anonymous e-mail containing a threat to damage court premises has been received at several courts. The police have taken cognisance of the matter and initiated a thorough investigation. As a precautionary measure, police checks and enhanced security arrangements have been put in place at all concerned locations. The situation is under close monitoring," he stated.
He further advised the public not to panic and urged cooperation from them.
"The public is advised not to panic and to cooperate with the police in maintaining security and assisting the investigation," the DGP advised.
Promptly after the reception of the e-mail, staff and others were evacuated from the High Court and the district courts' premises for inspection.
The threat put the courts in a state of alert, with the advocates raising safety concerns.
Speaking to ANI, Prafulla Kumar Sahoo, Senior Advocate at Odisha High Court, informed that the work has come to a halt following the threat mail, and complained about the traffic management in case of an emergency.
"This creates a lot of difficulty. Our work has been halted, and we do not know the update of the investigation, considering it's a serious matter...If there is a bomb here, it can get problematic to empty out the premises due to the large number of vehicles parked here, making passage extremely difficult during an emergency. Moreover, the traffic control here is also out of order. Thus, security should be tightened here," Sahoo stated.
Meanwhile, Shishir Kumar, Joint Secretary, District Bar Association, expressed relief over the safety despite the panic state, reiterating the need for effective traffic management.
"I appreciate and support this step to inspect the premises and conduct a thorough investigation for the safety and security of the advocates in the court. However, if the traffic had been managed better, the inspection could have caused less issues for the passage of people and vehicles," Kumar said.
The investigation into the threat is ongoing.