Mandi DC office building vacated after bomb threat

Panic gripped Mandi city today after a threat to blow up the Deputy Commissioner’s office was received via an email. The alarming message, sent on the official email of the Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, claimed that the office premises would be blown up with a bomb.

The local administration and the police immediately swung into action. The Deputy Commissioner’s office complex was swiftly evacuated and a high-security cordon was put in place. Bomb disposal squads from Mandi as well as teams summoned from nearby districts of Hamirpur, Kullu and Bilaspur conducted an extensive search of the area. Sniffer dogs, SDRF teams and other security forces were deployed there throughout the day and they thoroughly checked every corner of the sprawling complex, including the SP office, court buildings and the district library.

As a precautionary measure, the police sealed the area and prohibited public movement. Staff and visitors were moved out of the premises, bringing daily operations to a standstill. Legal proceedings were also affected as judges and lawyers were barred from entering the court complex.

Mandi SP Sakshi Verma confirmed that a bomb threat had been received and an investigation was going on. “We are treating this incident seriously. Our first priority is public safety and parallel efforts are underway to trace the origin of the threatening email,” she added.

The SP said that during an extensive search operation, no suspicious thing was detected. The search operation was underway in the area.

Initially, locals believed it to be a mock exercise but the fact that a bomb threat had been received shocked them. Around 10.45 am, emergency sirens were sounded to alert the public and ambulances and firefighters were put on standby.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan urged people to remain calm and cooperate with the authorities during investigation. “Do not panic. The entire complex is being thoroughly checked. We will ensure strict action is taken against whosoever is responsible for this mischief,” he added.

He said that in the next few days, traffic would be regulated in the area. He urged people and employees visiting the Deputy Commissioner’s office to use public transportation instead of coming in their private vehicles. Public safety was our top priority, he added.

Himachal Tribune