A threat email warning of bomb attacks on prisons across Gujarat, including Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Central Jail, has prompted the state police to step up security at correctional facilities. The email was received on the official account of the Director General of Police (DGP) office in Gandhinagar.
Following the threat, the DGP office directed all jail superintendents and district police chiefs to remain on high alert with immediate effect.
Teams from the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) and local police reached Sabarmati Central Jail and carried out an extensive search of the premises, including sensitive barracks. A case has also been registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station, and efforts are underway to trace the sender of the email.
Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat jails mentioned
According to sources, the threatening email specifically named prisons in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat as potential targets.
Following the alert, security checks at Sabarmati Central Jail were intensified. Search teams used sniffer dogs, metal detectors and other equipment to inspect the premises. Screening of visitors, vehicles and supplies entering the jail has also been tightened.
Authorities have temporarily restricted the entry of unauthorised persons, allowing access only to authorised personnel.
Cybercrime team examines email trail
The Cyber Crime Police are working with digital forensic experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to identify the source of the threatening email.
Investigators are examining email headers, server logs and other digital footprints to trace its origin. They are also looking into whether proxy servers, virtual private networks (VPNs) or encrypted email services were used to conceal the sender’s identity.
Security increased around high-security cells
Security has been further tightened in sensitive areas of Sabarmati Central Jail, including the high-security zone and the Anda cell, where several convicts in serial blast cases, gangsters and prisoners linked to terrorist activities are lodged.
Surveillance from watchtowers along the prison perimeter has been intensified, while CCTV monitoring has also been strengthened to ensure closer observation of the jail premises.