The functioning of two of India’s most prominent courts — the Bombay High Court and the Delhi High Court — was disrupted on Friday afternoon after both institutions received bomb threats almost simultaneously, sending shockwaves through the legal and security establishments.
In Mumbai, the proceedings at the Bombay High Court in the historic Fort area came to an abrupt halt when an alert was raised about a possible bomb inside the premises.
Judges, including Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, immediately rose from their chairs and vacated their courtrooms, bringing all judicial business to an unplanned standstill. The sudden evacuation created an atmosphere of panic as lawyers, litigants, and court staff were asked to leave the building without delay.
Following requests from the Bombay Bar Association (BBA) and the Advocates Association of Western India (AAWI), member advocates were also urged to vacate the premises in the interest of safety.
The Mumbai Police quickly deployed its Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) along with sniffer dogs to conduct a thorough search of the entire complex.
Till the time of reporting, it remained unclear whether the Bombay High Court had received a direct email threat or whether its name was included in the same email that was sent to the Delhi High Court.
Meanwhile, in the national capital, the Delhi High Court also received a bomb threat email. The threatening message was delivered to the official email IDs of the registrar general and other senior court officials, sparking a major security response.
Police teams, bomb squads, and intelligence units were pressed into action to ensure that the premises and surrounding areas were secured.
This dual threat has once again brought attention to the alarming trend of increasing hoax bomb threats being sent to critical institutions across India in recent years. Schools, airports, government offices, and now even High Courts have been frequent targets of such disruptive emails and phone calls.
Each threat, whether genuine or false, forces authorities to evacuate, mobilize large-scale security checks, and divert essential resources.
Experts point out that while many of these bomb threats often turn out to be hoaxes, they still cause widespread fear, interrupt judicial and administrative processes, and impose a heavy burden on security agencies.
More worryingly, such incidents highlight vulnerabilities that could be exploited in the future if not addressed with stricter cyber-surveillance and stringent punishment for those found guilty of issuing such threats.
The simultaneous targeting of both the Bombay and Delhi High Courts — pillars of India’s judicial system — underscores the gravity of the issue. It is a reminder that the country must strengthen its security apparatus against not only physical threats but also psychological warfare aimed at spreading panic and disrupting daily life.
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