CHANDIGARH, May 30: The nine-storey Haryana Civil Secretariat was evacuated Friday afternoon following a bomb threat received via email, prompting an immediate security sweep by personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Chandigarh Police.
Officials said the alert was raised by the Haryana Criminal Investigation Department (CID), after which the entire complex was cleared. “Announcements were made by the CISF and Chandigarh police asking everyone to vacate the building,” said Chandigarh Deputy Superintendent of Police Udaypal Singh.
Search operations extended to the surrounding high-security zone, including areas near the official residence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. The CISF, which maintains round-the-clock deployment at the Secretariat, led the evacuation.
A full emergency response was mobilized, with bomb disposal units, fire brigade, ambulance services, quick reaction teams, and dog squads reaching the site swiftly.
“The situation is being thoroughly assessed and combing operations are ongoing,” said a senior police officer involved in the search.
Friday’s scare comes just over a week after a similar bomb threat was emailed to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on May 22. That incident led to the brief evacuation of court premises, but investigations later revealed it was a hoax.
Authorities are yet to determine the credibility of the current threat and said further updates will follow pending investigation.
