Seventh bomb threat in 55 days: High Court in Himachal Pradesh targeted amid rising hoax alerts

Shimla, June 10,
An unprecedented development, Himachal Pradesh witnessed its seventh bomb threat in just 55 days after an alarming email on Monday warned of human suicide bombers carrying Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) within the premises of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. The threat prompted an immediate evacuation and a high-level sanitization operation by Shimla Police, who sealed the area, conducted a thorough search using bomb disposal and dog squads, and later declared the threat a hoax after finding no explosives.

This is the latest in a series of bomb threat emails that have disrupted public life across the state since April this year. The first threat was received on April 16, 2025, targeting the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat in Shimla and the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mandi. The email triggered full-scale emergency measures at both locations. Nine days later, on April 25, two more bomb threats were received—this time at the Deputy Commissioner’s offices in Chamba and Hamirpur, leading to similar evacuations and security sweeps. On May 2, the Kullu DC office was targeted in another email warning, and once again, authorities evacuated the building and launched a comprehensive security operation. The series continued on May 25 and May 26, when twin email threats were again directed at the Shimla Secretariat, pushing the total number of incidents to six before Monday’s threat brought the count to seven.

Despite the panic caused by each of these incidents, all seven threats were ultimately declared false alarms after extensive checks by police and bomb squads. Investigations so far indicate that these emails are likely part of a coordinated series of hoaxes, though the identity and intent of the sender or senders remain under investigation by cyber forensic teams.

Never before in the past ten years has Himachal Pradesh witnessed such a pattern of repeated bomb threats. Historically, the state has been considered one of the most peaceful in the country, with very few instances of targeted threats to public institutions. This sudden and sustained wave of hoax threats has therefore caused considerable disruption to government functioning and judicial activity, while also straining security resources.

While officials continue to treat each threat with utmost seriousness, an official statement about the source of these threats is yet to be released by police authorities. Moreover, there is growing concern over the psychological impact of these false alarms on employees and the public. The repeated evacuations and operational halts at major government buildings have prompted internal discussions about bolstering the state’s cybercrime monitoring capacity and threat response protocols.

As investigations continue, authorities urge the public to stay calm and remain cooperative during security checks. Meanwhile, the state machinery is tightening its cyber surveillance and pursuing leads to bring an end to what is being described as the most sustained hoax threat campaign Himachal Pradesh has seen in its recent history.

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Himachalscape bureau

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The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.

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Himachalscape bureau

The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.