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On what should have been a routine Monday morning in the tranquil hills of Uttarakhand, a chilling email shattered the peace. On February 16, 2026, the district courts of Nainital and Uttarkashi were suddenly gripped by a wave of panic that forced hundreds of judges, lawyers, and litigants to run for their lives.
The message was direct, terrifying, and claimed to have the weight of 12 kilograms of explosives behind it.
The Threat: "12 RDX Planted in Judge's Chamber"
The ordeal began when an email was received by the All India Judges Association. The sender, purportedly claiming to be from "Pakistani ISI," made a startling claim: 12 kilograms of RDX had already been planted within the judges' chambers and were set to detonate.
But it wasn't just a random act of terror; the email came with a bizarre political demand. The sender ordered a halt to the EWS (Economically Weaker Section) reservation in Tamil Nadu, threatening that the explosives would be triggered if the demand wasn't met.
Chaos and Evacuation
The response was immediate. As soon as the threat surfaced:
Mass Evacuation: Police and security forces swarmed the Nainital and Uttarkashi court premises. Hundreds of advocates were forced out of their chambers, and hearings were halted as people spilled onto the main highways in fear.
Security Gridlock: While the police acted swiftly to clear the buildings, the wait for the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) stretched into hours, leaving legal professionals and the public in a state of high-anxiety limbo on the streets.
Haldwani on Alert: The threat also extended to the courts in Haldwani, where security was heightened as a precautionary measure.
Hoax or Reality?
While authorities worked tirelessly to scan every corner of the courtrooms and chambers, initial investigations suggest this may be part of a larger trend. Over the past week, similar "coordinated" threats have been reported in courts across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand.
Experts believe these emails are often hoaxes designed to create mass panic and disrupt the judicial system, yet in a state as sensitive as Uttarakhand, security agencies are taking no chances.
The Aftermath
By the afternoon, while no explosives had been found, the psychological damage was done. The incident highlights a growing vulnerability in our judicial infrastructure to digital terrorism. As the police trace the IP addresses of these "ISI-labeled" emails, the legal community in the hills remains on edge, reminding us that sometimes, a single digital message can be as disruptive as a physical weapon.
Read More: A Cold Morning in the Hills Turned Into a Day of Terror The Uttarakhand Court Bomb Scare
