Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday expressed deep concern over reports of bomb threats received by district courts in Sambalpur, Cuttack, and Deogarh.

He directed senior officials to conduct a thorough investigation and ascertain the veracity of the threats.

CM reviews situation with top officials 

The Chief Minister held discussions with the Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department Hemant Sharma, and the Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, and advised them to keep a close watch on the evolving situation. He instructed the police to immediately identify and trace those responsible for issuing the threats.

Strict action ordered, public safety a priority

Emphasising that there can be no compromise on the safety of life and property of the general public, the Chief Minister said the incident must be treated with utmost seriousness. He directed that senior officers be deputed to the affected locations to closely monitor the situation and collect detailed information.

Focus on identifying motive behind threats

The Chief Minister underlined the need to thoroughly investigate the incident to understand the intent and motive behind such threats and to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in future.

High-level review meeting scheduled in evening

Later in the evening, the Chief Minister is scheduled to conduct a high-level review meeting to take stock of the situation and assess the steps taken by the administration and police authorities.

Threat email contains grievances and unsubstantiated claims

The anonymous threat email sent to courts in Odisha contained a series of allegations and grievances. The sender claimed that police constables in Tamil Nadu are subjected to indignity and mistreatment, including being forced to perform personal chores for an actress and political workers, and alleged that some personnel suffered health issues. 

"The constables in Tamil Nadu are allegedly being forced to clean the clothes and utensils of actress Nivetha Pethuraj and DMK workers, which is an insult to their dignity. It is also claimed that some of them suffered from dysentery," the sender stated in email.

The email further stated that the courts in Odisha were being targeted as part of a protest, citing purported associations with extremist elements and referencing historical recommendations related to police welfare in Tamil Nadu. 

"It is regrettable to state that courts in Odisha are being targeted as part of a protest, allegedly in association with former LTTE members and ISI activists, citing the recommendations made by the 1979 Nainar Das Police Union for constables in Tamil Nadu," the email sent to Deogarh District Court stated.

The email further makes claims about explosive devices allegedly planted at a district court and describes an intended attack during lunch time, referencing past extremist incident like 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings. 

These statements are part of the threat message and remain unverified.