Hoax Bomb Threat Triggers Four-Hour Search at ISRO Headquarters on New BEL Road

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters on New BEL Road in Bengaluru was placed on high alert on Thursday morning after receiving a bomb threat via e-mail. The threat triggered a massive security operation, which was later declared a hoax after a thorough search of the campus.

The threatening e-mail was sent directly to the office of ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan and was also received on the e-mail address of a public relations official. The sender of the e-mail claimed that explosives had been planted within the high-security establishment.

According to officials at the space agency, staff members first saw the e-mail at around 11:00 AM on Thursday. Upon discovering the message, officials immediately informed the Bengaluru City Police about the potential security threat.

In response to the alert, bomb disposal squads and police teams arrived at the ISRO campus at approximately 11:30 AM. Security personnel immediately began a meticulous, building-by-building search of the entire facility.

The search operation was highly comprehensive, covering the entire campus including Antariksh Bhavan. Teams of security personnel and bomb disposal experts spent several hours scanning the area for any signs of danger.

The search went on for four hours, concluding at around 3:30 PM. After checking the entire campus, the teams found no suspicious objects or explosives, and the threat was officially declared a hoax.

ISRO teams have refused to share the specific contents or details of the e-mail. Following the incident, the Sanjaynagar police registered a case and are conducting a further investigation to identify the sender of the hoax e-mail.