Taj Mahal Gets Hoax Bomb Threat Mail, Search Operation Underway
DCP City Sonam Kumar said the email was a hoax from Kerala, and a case has been registered with the Cyber Cell for investigation
Published : May 25, 2025 at 10:54 AM IST
Agra: A High alert was sounded on the premises of the Taj Mahal after the tourism department received a threatening email from Kerala on Saturday morning to bomb the Taj Mahal.
Following the threat, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Taj Security Police, bomb disposal squad, dog squad, Tourism Police, and the Archaeological Survey of India members searched the Taj Mahal for about three hours but found no suspicious objects.
Vigilance was increased at all gates, and every tourist was monitored via CCTV. Security agencies breathed a sigh of relief after the search. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) City Sonam Kumar said the email was a hoax from Kerala, and a case has been registered with the Cyber Cell for investigation.
The threatening email, sent around 7 AM on Saturday from an unidentified Savvaku Shankar's email ID, was addressed to the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department and the Delhi Police, claiming the Taj Mahal would be blown up with RDX (Royal Demolition Explosive) by 3:30 PM.
Security agencies initiated intensive checks from 1 PM on Saturday. Sniffer dogs and the bomb disposal squad conducted thorough searches throughout the Taj Mahal premises, from the main dome and Chameli floor to the mosque complex, gardens, and corridors.
The search operation concluded at 3 PM without finding anything suspicious. Security agencies maintained discretion during the search operation, informing tourists who inquired that a routine mock drill was in progress, allowing them to move around without panic.
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP) for Taj Security Syed Areeb Ahmad said the search operation involved all security agencies and concerned officials. He said that the hoax email originated from Kerala and was part of a series sent to multiple locations nationwide, now under investigation by the Cyber Cell, where a case has been registered.
The Taj Mahal has received similar threats on several prior occasions, including an email on December 24, 2024, which led to intensive checking and increased security. A threat from Vimal of Firozabad on March 4, 2020, resulted in his arrest, and a bomb threat call from a person in Tamil Nadu in March 2008, who was subsequently jailed.
