Surat: Another slew of hoax emails threatening to blow up Passport Seva Kendras and post offices in several cities disrupted operations at these locations this morning. The threats come at a time when Class 10 and 12 board examinations are underway and just a fortnight after similar threats were sent to schools across Ahmedabad and Vadodara on February 16.

Search Operation at Piplod Passport Office in Surat

In Surat, a threatening email targeting the Passport Office in the Piplod area triggered immediate action. Teams from Umra Police, along with the dog squad and bomb detection units, rushed to the premises and carried out a thorough search of the building and surrounding areas.

Officials said the premises were scanned as a precautionary measure. Cybercrime teams have also been roped in to trace the origin of the email and ascertain the intent behind the threat. No suspicious object was found during the initial search, police sources said.

Offices Evacuated in Valsad, Navsari

Similar bomb threats were reported in Valsad, where both the post office and the passport office were mentioned in the email. Authorities immediately evacuated the Valsad post office, and a detailed search operation was conducted by the bomb squad.

In Navsari, the local post office received a similar threat, prompting security checks and deployment of additional police personnel. Officials confirmed that precautionary measures were taken to ensure public safety.

The hoax threats were not limited to South Gujarat. Reports indicate that post offices and passport offices in cities including Bhavnagar, Amreli, Veraval, Godhra and Junagadh also received similar emails. According to preliminary information, an almost identical message was sent to the superintendents of multiple post offices across the state.

Heightened Security Across Gujarat

Operations at affected post offices and passport offices were temporarily suspended until search operations were completed. Security arrangements have been intensified statewide, particularly around examination centres and key government establishments.

Senior police officials said that while no explosive material has been recovered so far, the matter is being treated seriously. Cybercrime units are analysing the email trail to identify the sender and prevent further disruption.

Authorities have appealed to the public to remain calm and avoid spreading rumours, assuring that all necessary steps are being taken to maintain law and order.

Email Sent “By Mistake”, Clarifies Gandhinagar SP

Meanwhile, Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police Vasamsetty Raviteja clarified that the incident was the result of a misunderstanding caused by an internal forwarding error.

“There was a misunderstanding. An email was received at the Surat RPO office. From the RPO office, the message was forwarded to the local police and to the concerned post office under its jurisdiction. The post office then forwarded the email to its head office in Ahmedabad, and from the head office it was circulated to all post offices across the state. In fact, the threat was only meant for the Surat RPO. There was no threat to any other post office. This happened due to a misunderstanding from the passport post office side,” the SP said.

He further stated that a mistake was committed by an employee of the Post Office head office in Ahmedabad. “That employee has been called by the police and will be questioned,” he added.

Responding to a query on further action, the SP said, “Since this email pertains to Surat RPO, the decision to register an offence will be taken by Surat Police. No action is required in Gandhinagar as the mail was not directed here. The misunderstanding by the post office employee will be addressed, and a warning will be issued to ensure such a mistake does not occur again.” DeshGujarat