Delhi was placed on high alert on Friday after bomb threats targeting the Delhi High Court, IGI Airport's Terminal 3, and several other high-profile locations triggered a massive security response just a day before India's 80th Independence Day celebrations. While initial searches found no suspicious objects and officials described the threat as a hoax, security agencies have intensified vigilance ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address from the Red Fort on August 15.

The threatening email, carrying the subject "BOMB Blast Delhi High Court @ 2:11 PM," warned of explosions at the High Court on Saturday afternoon before claiming that district courts and other prominent sites would also be targeted. Besides IGI Airport T3, the message named Jamnagar House, the Jhandewalan flatted-factory complex, the MB Saket/DM office, and the SDM office in Delhi Cantonment. Some reports also mentioned the Red Fort, Delhi Metro, and trains arriving from Ambala. The email invoked "Khalistan" and referred to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, adding a sensitive political dimension to the scare.

Following the alert, the Delhi High Court's Registrar General informed Delhi Police, prompting the deployment of bomb disposal squads, sniffer dogs, fire tenders, and specialised security teams across all identified locations. Advocate Kunal, Joint Secretary of the Delhi High Court, said the threat appeared fake and confirmed that extensive scanning of the court premises was underway.

Authorities have launched an investigation to trace the email's origin while maintaining heightened security across the capital. Delhi Police has already strengthened anti-terror measures with additional personnel at strategic locations, intensified checks at entry and exit points, and increased surveillance at crowded public spaces.

Although the immediate threat appears to have been neutralised, the timing and choice of symbolic targets underscore the importance of constant vigilance. With Independence Day celebrations hours away, security agencies are treating the episode as a serious test of preparedness, ensuring that every precaution remains firmly in place.

(With agency inputs)