Karnataka: Hoax Bomb Threat at Bhatkal Tahsildar’s Office, Police Tighten Security

A hoax bomb threat emailed to the Bhatkal Tahsildar’s office in Karnataka triggered panic on Tuesday morning. Police tightened security and deployed bomb disposal squads. The email also contained baseless political allegations. 

A hoax bomb threat sent via email to the Bhatkal Tahsildar’s office in Karnataka on Tuesday morning triggered panic and heightened security measures, creating a tense atmosphere on the government premises. The threatening message, received at around 7.25 am, warned of an imminent bomb explosion and prompted authorities to initiate emergency protocols.

The email, sent from the address ‘gaina ramesh@outlook.com’, carried a message in Kannada stating, “Revenge of Tamils and Pakistanis: A powerful bomb will soon explode in the Tahsildar’s office. Evacuate everyone quickly.”

Police Tighten Security, Investigation Underway

Following the threat, police personnel were immediately deployed in and around the Tahsildar’s office to prevent any untoward incident. Security in the surrounding areas was also intensified as a precautionary measure.

Bomb disposal and dog squads are preparing to conduct a thorough inspection of the premises to rule out any potential danger. Senior police officials stated that investigations are underway to trace the origin of the email and identify those responsible for spreading panic.

Baseless Political Allegations in Threat Email

Apart from the bomb threat, the anonymous email contained several unsubstantiated and inflammatory allegations targeting the Tamil Nadu DMK government. It alleged that the DMK government, acting on instructions from political strategists Prashant Kishor and Sunil Kanugolu, had attempted to influence media organisations in 2001.

The email further claimed that Kannadigas were being monitored using a so-called ‘Galileo App’ through senior police officials, including Radhakrishnan IPS and Jaffer Sait. It also made vague and unverified assertions regarding the intentions of DMK leader Udayanidhi.

Authorities Dismiss Claims as Nonsensical

More seriously, the email accused the DMK leadership of being aware of alleged exploitation of girls from orphanages, though no evidence was provided to support these claims. Police officials have dismissed the allegations as baseless, describing the contents of the email as misleading and nonsensical.

Authorities reiterated that spreading false threats and defamatory content is a serious offence and assured that strict legal action will be taken once the sender is identified.