Golden Temple bomb threat: Punjab police detains Haryana techie, probe points ‘towards southern states’

The sacred shrine Golden Temple received a total of five bomb threats since July 14 following which an investigation was launched and a software engineer was apprehended from Faridabad, PTI reported. The e-mails, threatening to blow up the gurdwara, were addressed to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

The techie detained in this case is identified as 24-year-old Shubam Dubey, who is being questioned in connection with the first threatening mail.

“While investigating, our team reached Faridabad in Haryana and techie, Shubham Dubey was detained and is being interrogated... His devices have also been seized and are under investigation by the forensic team,” ANI quoted Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar as saying.

The arrested engineer, with no previous criminal record, was traced with the help of Punjab Police's cybercrime wing and the central intelligence agencies.

Suggesting that more breakthroughs in the coming days and suspecting bigger conspiracy, the Police Commissioner added, “The content of the email is taking the investigation towards the southern states... We are in touch with Tamil Nadu and other southern states' police.”

SGPC Chief Secretary Kulwant Singh Manan asserted that the motive behind these threatening emails is not known but continuous emails over the past 4-5 days “indicate that there cannot be one person behind this and there are chances of the involvement of a group.”

Over this concerning issue, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann convened a meeting in Chandigarh on July 17 with senior police officials, including Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav.

"We will not allow any compromise on the security of Punjab. Our security agencies and the Punjab Police are fully alert," Bhagwant Mann stated in a post on X

Assured that Punjab government would not compromise on state security, he added, “I appeal to the people of Punjab to be cautious of rumours. All religious places are sacred and revered by us. We are fully committed to their security. Anti-national and anti-social forces will be dealt with utmost strictness.”