New Delhi, Aug 14 — Five places in the national Capital received bomb threats a day before the nation celebrates its 80th Independence Day, officials of the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) said on Friday.
According to the DFS, the locations in Delhi which received calls alleging bomb blasts are Jamnagar House, Jhandewalan Flatted Factory Complex, District Magistrate Office in Saket, Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport and SDM Office at Delhi Cantt.
Fire tenders have been dispatched to all these locations. However, nothing suspicious has been found during the investigation so far, officials said.
Similarly, an email sent to the Delhi Mayor’s office on August 3 threatened multiple bomb blasts at the Red Fort on August 15, prompting security agencies in the capital city to spring into action to comb the entire area around the iconic monument.
As soon as the Mayor's office received the bomb threat by email, it alerted the Delhi Police and other security agencies.
Soon after receiving the alert, police personnel, bomb disposal squads, and other security teams rushed to the historic Red Fort and carried out extensive sanitisation and inspection of the premises, an official said.
Delhi Police sources said that after receiving the information about the bomb threat, the security of the area was beefed up and an investigation was launched.
On July 11, a bomb threat targeting the Red Fort had also triggered a major security response, prompting police and security agencies to conduct a comprehensive combing exercise at the monument before declaring the threat to be a hoax.
According to Delhi Police, last month’s threat originated from a phone call made to the Mumbai Police Control Room, during which the caller allegedly claimed that the historic Red Fort would be blown up. Mumbai Police immediately relayed the information to the Delhi Police Control Room, which alerted the North District Police to initiate security measures.
After thoroughly checking the area, police officials found no suspicious object or explosive material and confirmed that the threat was false.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the nation from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort on August 15, Saturday. The event is expected to draw large crowds and involve extensive restrictions on movement in the capital city.