Ahmedabad/Gir Somnath, Sep 21: A bomb-threat email naming the Somnath Temple and BJP offices in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar triggered a security alert across Gujarat on Monday, prompting searches by police, bomb detection and disposal teams and dog squads, officials said.

The threat mentioned the BJP office in Ahmedabad’s Khanpur area, the party’s state office, Kamalam, at Koba in Gandhinagar, and the Somnath Temple.

Police said no suspicious object was found during searches at the locations.

Ahmedabad C-Division ACP Adwait Gandhi said the State Intelligence Bureau in Gandhinagar received the input around 9 a.m., following which the Khanpur BJP office was thoroughly checked, and additional police deployment was put in place.

“At 9 a.m., we received an input from the State Intelligence Bureau in Gandhinagar. According to that, there was a threat of a bomb blast at the BJP Central Office in Khanpur. We informed the BDTS and had the entire premises checked, and police deployment has also been put in place. The situation is normal,” Gandhi said.

He confirmed that the Somnath Temple and BJP office at Koba had also been named in the threat. “Nothing suspicious has been found. The situation is normal,” he said.

Gandhi said there was no need for panic and added that police are carrying out their duties. “I do not have information about the origin of the email at this stage and action had been taken on the basis of the intelligence input,” he noted.

At the Khanpur office, police, fire brigade personnel and bomb and dog squad teams conducted a detailed search.

City BJP president Prerak Shah said the party was informed that intelligence agencies had received an email threatening to blow up the office.

“Based on that, both the police and bomb squad arrived here. The entire Khanpur BJP office was searched, and nothing objectionable or suspicious was found here,” Shah said.

At Somnath, Deputy SP M.F. Chaudhary said the police received the threat email in the morning and the entire police force was placed on alert on the instructions and guidance of the Superintendent of Police.

He said the temple has dedicated security personnel working round the clock and that devotees normally undergo two-layer frisking and checking.

Electronic gadgets and other prohibited items are not allowed inside the temple premises.

“In view of today’s situation, we put our other district branches, including the LCB, Special Operation Group, BDS and QRT, on alert and had the entire temple premises searched. The BDS searched the temple premises but found no suspicious objects,” he said.

The latest threat comes amid a series of similar email-based bomb scares in Gujarat.

Earlier this month, threats were received by courts, schools and the Gujarat Assembly, while separate threats on September 15 and 17 reportedly named courts, Mahatma Mandir and port facilities.

Searches in those cases also did not result in the recovery of explosives.

Gujarat Police had also recently arrested two men in connection with an alleged interstate network involved in sending hoax bomb-threat emails.

Investigators recovered details of 513,847 Gmail accounts and passwords allegedly linked to the network.

Police are examining whether the latest threat has any connection with that network.

New Delhi, Sep 21: In a coordinated effort to strengthen surveillance and ensure compliance with immigration laws, Delhi Police have launched an intensive combing and verification exercise to identify foreign nationals staying in the North district and verify their immigration status.

As part of the exercise, two teams were constituted on the directions of senior officers to trace foreign nationals overstaying in India and also verify the status of foreigners against whom criminal cases have been registered.

The first team was formed under the supervision of ACP/Burari Shashi Kant Gaur and headed by Inspector Girish Chandra Raturi, SHO, Burari Police Station. The team comprised Head Constables Kamlesh and Ankit and Constable Nishant.

The second team was formed under the supervision of ACP/Operations/North Vishesh Dhatterwal and led by Inspector Rohit Saraswat, I/C Special Staff, and SI Pradeep Katoch, I/C Foreign Cell, in coordination with Head Constable Bal Kishan of Special Staff.

During a systematic search and verification in the area of Burari Police Station on September 7, the team detected three Nigerian nationals, identified as Victory Isimah, Godspower Ikechukwu and Aliou Cisse, who were found staying in Burari’s Baba Colony.

During verification, Victory Isimah produced his passport, but his visa was found to have expired. The other two foreign nationals, Godspower Ikechukwu and Aliou Cisse, failed to produce valid documents establishing their identity or lawful stay in India.

Necessary proceedings were therefore initiated against all three at Burari Police Station. Subsequently, the three foreign nationals were produced before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Delhi.

Vide three separate Restriction Orders dated September 7, their movement was restricted to Sewa Sadan, Lampur, Narela, Delhi.

Following the orders, all three were handed over to the Restriction Centre at Sewa Sadan, Lampur, Narela, for further necessary action in accordance with the applicable rules and procedures.

In another operation, a joint team of Special Staff, Foreign Cell and Anti-Narcotics Cell of North District Police conducted a coordinated checking operation during the early hours of September 16 at identified premises in Chandan Vihar, Pragati Enclave and Maurya Enclave in Burari.

The operation was conducted on the basis of specific intelligence regarding the unauthorised stay and overstay of foreign nationals.

Police said the intelligence was developed by the joint team through sustained field verification and identification of locations where foreign nationals were reportedly residing.

During the operation, 10 foreign nationals belonging to Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Uganda and Cameroon were found present at the identified locations. Their identity documents, passports, visas and immigration status were thoroughly checked and verified by the police team.

The verification found four foreign nationals overstaying in India on expired visas, while two others failed to produce valid passport or visa-related documents.

Those identified for necessary immigration action were Ann Favorite Michael, a Ghanaian national whose visa expired on August 13, 2023; Elise Djonba, an Ivorian national whose visa expired on January 5, 2018; Ebuh Happiness, a Nigerian national whose visa expired on August 18, 2026; and Godstime Ikechukwu Chukwuma, a Nigerian national whose visa expired on October 12, 2019.

The other two, Costa Abraham and Raymond Maduka Eze, both Nigerian nationals, failed to produce a valid passport or visa-related documents during the verification process.

After completion of all requisite formalities, including medical examination, the six foreign nationals were produced before the FRRO for necessary immigration action, including deportation proceedings wherever applicable.

Subsequently, as per the orders and proceedings of the competent authority, all six were sent to Restriction Centres at Lampur and Sarai Rohilla for further necessary action.

During detailed verification of the 10 foreign nationals, three were found to be involved in criminal cases presently pending trial before the competent courts.

They were identified as Ndagire Mizzy, daughter of James Mukuye, who is involved in Court Case No. DRI-SC/399/2022; Emmanuel Owusu Nsiah, son of Owusu, who is involved in FIR No. 28/2024 of Police Station Special Cell; and Sunday Chikezie, son of Chikezie, who is involved in FIR No. 11/2022 of Police Station Crime Branch.

Since the cases are pending adjudication before the competent courts, the three foreign nationals were relieved from the present immigration action.

Another foreign national, Samuel Enow Ebot Manyienow, son of Manyienow, was also relieved after verification established that his visa was valid.

Accordingly, necessary immigration action was taken against the remaining foreign nationals in accordance with the applicable rules and prescribed procedures.

North District Police said it remained committed to maintaining vigilant surveillance, strengthening actionable intelligence and ensuring prompt and lawful action against violations of immigration laws.

Further verification and necessary immigration and legal action are being undertaken in close coordination with the concerned authorities, officials said.

Hyderabad, Sep 21: An auto-rickshaw driver was to death allegedly by a group of people following an argument over Rs. 10 change in the old city of Hyderabad, police said.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening in Vattepally under limits of Falaknuma Police Station.

The victim was identified as Mohammed Mukarram (42). His brother Mohammed Afroz said he was brutally assaulted and murdered in front of his family members.

According to Afroz, when a passenger who gave Rs.200 note to Mukarram towards the auto fare of Rs.10, Mukarram asked him to pay the change. This led to an argument and the passenger called some others who thrashed Mukarram, resulting in grievous injuries. He succumbed before he could be shifted to a hospital.

Afroz alleged that Azeem, reporter of a local news channel, Shoaib and 6-8 others were involved in the killing.

“My brother was epileptic and weak-hearted. Despite my requests to spare him, they kept raining blows on him and he collapsed,” said Afroz as he broke down narrating the incident before media.

Mukarram is survived by wife and four children. Afroz demanded the government to do justice to the family by ensuring harshest punishment to the killers.

Police said they have registered a case and took up investigation.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA Mohammed Mubeen visited the area and consoled the family of the victim.

The MLA demanded immediate arrest of the accused. He voiced concern over the growing incidents of crime in Vattepally area and demanded the police to intensify patrolling.

The incident occurred amid spate of murders in Hyderabad. The city has witnessed eight murders during the last two weeks.

Use of knives, sickles and other sharp-edged weapons for targeting murders in crowded places is causing a huge public concern.

Last week, a rowdy sheeter was hacked to death inside a wine shop permit room in Bandlaguda area. Previous enmity with a childhood friend was said to be the motive behind the killing.

Voicing concern over the series of murders, AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi recently demanded that the government establish dedicated anti-murder squads of the police to ensure swift investigations and secure convictions within a year.