Established in 1814, the 200-year-old iconic Calcutta Indian Museum is an all-time attraction for the travel- lover. The museum filled with historical traces of colonialism from the dawn of civilization brings visitors back again and again after all these years.
Kolkata’s special sightseeing spot was naturally crowded during the winter season. And in the meantime, the panic of the bomb threat spread in the Indian museum.
What was added in Bomb Threat
Bomb threats have been made in many parts of India over the past few days and most of the threats have turned out to be false. After Bangalore, this kind of threat has been spread in Kolkata.
On January 5, the authorities of the Indian Museum in Kolkata were sent an email from the Terrorist 111 group saying that a bomb had been planted inside the museum.
In this email sent early Friday morning, it is said that multiple bombs have been placed in the Kolkata museum. And its explosion can kill many people.
The matter is on search
After receiving the mail information, Bomb Squad personnel of the Kolkata Police immediately launched a search and sanitization operation at the museum around 11.30 am, but no explosives were found during the three-hour operation, officials said.
Apart from the bomb squad, sniffer dogs, a Quick Response Team (QRT), and a large contingent of police are stationed in and around the building in central Kolkata, he said.
The police’s cyber wing has also started an investigation to trace the source of the email, the officer added.
Evacuation of Visitors from Museum
An official of the museum, Sayan Bhattacharya, while talking to the media, said that the visitors were thrown out of the museum after getting the news.
Entry to the museum has been closed to visitors from today till next week. One of the most challenging places to conduct a search was this huge museum because it has so many buildings and hedges. Afternoon visitors turned away. At the Indian Museum, visitors were turned away and about 350 people were evacuated.
The check was started around 11.15 am. After reopening the museum at 4 pm, the NDRF conducted a 45-minute drive which again caused a disruption. The museum authorities have refunded the money to those who bought tickets in advance.
The Birla Industrial and Technological Museum was also evacuated. At the Victoria Memorial Hall, there was also an intense check on visitors’ bags.
