Vadodara/Palanpur

Bomb detection squads searched the premises of the world famous shrine of Ambaji in Banaskantha district while a similar security operation was also taken up in another well known temple of Gujarat in Shamlaji in Aravalli district late last evening in the wake of a threat letter received by the Raopura police station of Vadodara, police sources said today.

However the letter proved to be a ‘hoax’ as no explosives were found during the search.

The letter was 10th such hoax threat received by Vadodara police since September 14.

‘A letter was dropped in the Raopura police station by some unknown person who fled unnoticed. It mentioned that the Shrines of Ambaji, Shamlaji and Shirdi Sai temple in neigbhouring Maharashtra would be blown up. We immediately intimated the Banskantha and Aravalli police about it. The Maharshtra police was also informed,’ the sources said.

A thorough search operation in the Ambaji temple, a shaktipeeth (divine power center) of mother goddess where a famous week long fair Bhadarvi Poonam mela has just concluded, was taken up with the help of bomb detection squads with sniffer dogs. Similar operation was also conducted at the Lord Vishnu shrine of Shamlaji but nothing was found. However, as a precautionary measure security checks for the entrants in the shrines have been beefed up.

The Sources said that similar letters, some received through regular mail, with threats to blow up city schools, banks and bus stand have put the Vadodara police in tizzy for quite some time. Earlier a hoax caller to the police control room had claimed to have put bombs at the railway station and bus stand making police do a massive futile search operation of both the establishments.

Meanwhile the Raopura police has lodged a complaint and were trying to nab the deliverer of the letter. The police has increased vigil around the post offices in the city to check the hoax letters through regular mails.