Hoax Bomb Threat Email Sparks Panic at Bhatkal Government Office
A fake bomb threat sent via email triggered an evacuation and extensive search operation at the Mini Vidhana Soudha in Bhatkal, Uttara Kannada district, with no explosives found.
Bhatkal – A bomb threat email sent to the Bhatkal Tahsildar office on Tuesday morning caused widespread panic and led to a major security operation at the Mini Vidhana Soudha building in Uttara Kannada district.
The threatening email arrived at approximately 7:25 a.m. from an account registered under the name “Gaina Ramesh.” Written in Kannada, the email’s subject line warned of an immediate bomb explosion at the Tahsildar office and demanded the evacuation of all staff members.
Bhatkal Tahsildar Nagendr Kolashetty discovered the email around 7:45 a.m. while checking his inbox. He immediately informed the Bhatkal Police Inspector, setting off an emergency response.
Authorities quickly dispatched a bomb disposal squad from Karwar to Bhatkal. Since the Tahsildar office is located on the second floor of the Mini Vidhana Soudha, security teams conducted a comprehensive search of the entire building. After a thorough inspection, no suspicious items were found, and officials confirmed the threat was a hoax.
According to Kolashetty, the email contained disturbing content beyond just the bomb threat. It read: “Tamils and Pakistanis’ revenge a massive bomb blast will take place in the Tahsildar office soon. All people must be evacuated immediately.”
The email also included inflammatory statements targeting Tamil Nadu’s DMK government, with unverified claims about media pressure in 2001, alleged surveillance of Kannada people through a mobile app called Galileo, and accusations of abuse at orphanages.
This is not the first such incident in the region. A few months ago, Bhatkal Town Police Station received a similar threatening email, which led to the arrest of two individuals from Tamil Nadu.
Bhatkal Police Inspector Divakar confirmed that a case has been filed at the Bhatkal Town Police Station, and investigators are working to trace the sender.
Similar fake bomb threats have been reported across Karnataka in recent days. On Monday, the Mangaluru RTO Office and Gadag Deputy Commissioner’s Office received hoax emails. Bidar and Kolar also reported such threats two to three days earlier. On Tuesday, Hassan and other districts in Karnataka received similar threatening messages.
Police are investigating whether these incidents are connected and part of a coordinated attempt to create panic across the state.
