Siliguri, 26th February: The passport office in Siliguri was placed on high alert following a threatening phone call, leading to suspension of operations for nearly five hours. The alert was issued after a bomb threat was reportedly made in the name of an organisation to the Regional Passport Office in Kolkata, prompting nationwide precautionary measures at passport offices.
As part of the security protocol, work at the passport office located in Paribahan Nagar was immediately halted. Employees and visitors were evacuated from the premises. The disruption caused inconvenience to several applicants who had travelled from distant areas.
Upon receiving information, police from Matigara police station under Siliguri Metropolitan Police, along with the dog squad, IB and CID bomb squad teams, rushed to the spot. A thorough search of the entire premises was carried out. After hours of inspection, no explosive substance was found.
Senior Superintendent of Siliguri Passport Office, Somnath Mitra, stated that the office was evacuated and police informed immediately after receiving the alert from the Kolkata Regional Office as a precautionary measure.
DCP of Siliguri Metropolitan Police, Rakesh Singh, said that operations resumed only after the CID bomb squad gave the green signal following detailed verification.
Authorities are currently investigating the organisation behind the threat and tracing the source of the call. Security agencies are examining all angles of the case with seriousness.