HIMACHAL-BOMB THREATS Shimla, April 17(Reporter) The Himachal Pradesh police are on high alert following bomb threats received via email at two key government offices — the chief secretary's office at the state secretariat in Shimla and the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mandi. The identical threats have caused widespread concern, prompting immediate action from state authorities. Chief secretary Prabodh Saxena confirmed the development, saying the two threatening emails were received — one on his official ID and the other at the DC Mandi office. Both emails carried the same language and made reference to a past incident in Tamil Nadu, threatening to blow up the offices. Interestingly, the threat also included a mention of Tamil Nadu’s leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who is also the general secretary of AIADMK. “It is not clear why the sender of the email is linking the threat to my office in Himachal Pradesh,” Saxena said. “The mail threatened to blow up my office at 1:30 pm and claimed to be from Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the Mumbai terror attacks who was recently brought to India from the US.” Following the threat, the secretariat premises in Shimla were immediately sanitized, and security was significantly tightened. Entry into the secretariat has been restricted, with all individuals being subjected to strict checking before being allowed in. Mandi Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar Sharma also confirmed the receipt of the threat, stating that the premises were placed under heightened surveillance. “We have sounded a high alert and restricted public access to ensure safety,” he said. Authorities believe this may be part of a larger pattern, as similar threats have been issued to around 18 locations across Uttar Pradesh as well. The possibility of a coordinated attempt by a militant organization targeting key north Indian towns, particularly Shimla and Mandi, is under investigation. Police and intelligence agencies are currently tracing the origin of the threatening emails, which were sent from a Gmail account. In the meantime, security has been beefed up at all major government buildings across the state...////...