Bomb scare at Delhi Airport's Terminal 2, police carry out search operation

The Delhi Police on Monday night received a hoax bomb threat call for Terminal-2, which affected flight operations between 8.50 pm and 10 pm. Soon after receiving the information, the departure area was evacuated and all passengers were moved to gate no-4 at the departure level, while arriving passengers were on hold inside planes. After detailed search operation for about an hour by the BDS and the CISF, it was found to be a hoax. At 10 pm, normalcy at the terminal operations were restored.

The police later identified the man and detained him. "A person called up Delhi airport terminal-2 and said he had placed a bomb at the airport. He later denied when police identified him. The police are still carrying out a search as a precautionary measure," said DCP (Airport) Sanjay Bhatia. 

Sanjay Bhatia, DCP (Airport): A person called up Delhi airport terminal-2 and said he had placed a bomb at the airport. He later denied when police identified him. Police is still carrying out a search as a precautionary measure. pic.twitter.com/Z251d90sC3

— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2019

Earlier in the day, an anonymous call to police claiming that a bomb had been planted in a popular mall in Chandigarh sent security agencies into a tizzy as people were swiftly evacuated and extensive searches carried out in the building, but it turned out to be hoax.

"Chandigarh Police control room received a call on Monday afternoon that a bomb could have been placed in the Elante Mall premises. A four-hour search was conducted on each of the four floors and every shop inside was checked, but no explosive was found," Deputy Superintendent of Police (East) Dilsher Singh said.

Earlier, panic gripped the people and many started rushing out of the premises, leading to chaos for a while, after mall authorities and the police used loudspeakers to ask them to leave the shopping complex.

After the people were swiftly evacuated, local police units, anti-sabotage check team along with bomb disposal squad carried out searches in the mall, which had been teeming with shoppers on account of Eid holiday.

Police said that efforts were on to trace the caller, who had used voice over internet protocol.

The DSP said Chandigarh Police's Cyber Cell was investigating the case. A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the law, he said.

"Search operation ended in the evening and the mall was thrown open to public,” he said. Besides the mall, the adjoining buildings too were searched. Authorities have been on high alert across the country ahead of Independence Day and in view of developments related to Jammu and Kashmir.