Bomb threats reported at five Delhi locations ahead of Independence Day

Bomb threats were reported at five locations across Delhi on Friday, prompting emergency checks a day before India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations, officials said.

According to the Delhi Fire Service, the threats concerned Jamnagar House, the Jhandewalan Flatted Factory Complex, the district magistrate’s office in Saket, Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport and the sub-divisional magistrate’s office in Delhi Cantonment.

Fire engines and security personnel were sent to each location. No suspicious object had been discovered during the searches, officials said.

The alerts came amid heightened security in the national Capital ahead of the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the nation from the ramparts on Saturday.

In a separate incident, the Delhi Mayor’s office received an email on 3 August threatening multiple explosions at the Red Fort on 15 August. The office immediately alerted Delhi Police and other security agencies.

Police teams, bomb-disposal squads and other security personnel subsequently conducted an extensive inspection and sanitisation exercise at the monument. Security around the area was strengthened and an investigation into the threat was launched.

A similar warning targeting the Red Fort had prompted a large-scale security operation on 11 July. That threat reportedly originated from a call made to the Mumbai Police Control Room, with the caller claiming that the historic monument would be blown up.

Mumbai Police passed the information to their Delhi counterparts, following which North District Police and security agencies searched the premises. No explosive material or suspicious object was found, and the threat was declared a hoax.

Large crowds are expected for Saturday’s Independence Day programme, with extensive security and traffic restrictions planned across parts of the Capital.

With IANS inputs