Odisha: Fresh bomb threat in Sambalpur court; advocates slam police

A senior advocate in Sambalpur raised alarm over judiciary safety after a fresh bomb threat at the district court, criticising the police for not catching culprits from past incidents. Odisha DGP had reported similar threats across the state in January.

A senior advocate in Sambalpur, on Monday, raised serious concerns regarding the safety of the local judiciary following a fresh bomb threat that triggered a security alert at the district court premises. Senior Advocate Sureshwar Mishra, while speaking to ANI, said, "It is very unfortunate that we have been receiving such threats for the past few months... but the police have not been able to catch the culprit... The safety of the court and the people visiting the court should be a priority... We demand that this situation should not be taken lightly."

Statewide Alert and Police Response

Earlier in January, Director General of Police (DGP) Odisha, Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, 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.

Impact on Court Proceedings

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 on 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. (ANI)

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