Illustrative image. The photograph is representational and does not depict the actual incident or location.
CHANDIGARH, January 29, 2026 :Â The high-security Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat in Sector 1 witnessed tense scenes on Thursday morning after authorities ordered a complete evacuation following a bomb threat received via email. The message, sent to the National Informatics Centre located within the complex, was received around 9 am, shortly after office hours began. Security protocols were immediately activated, and by 10 am nearly 5,000 employees and visitors had been safely moved out of the premises.
Chandigarh Police, assisted by the Central Industrial Security Force and bomb disposal teams, sealed the complex and launched an extensive search operation. Sniffer dogs and fire brigade personnel were deployed to check all floors, offices, and parking areas. The incident came less than a day after several schools in Chandigarh received similar emails, which were later found to be hoax messages.
According to officials, the email included threats directed at government offices, prompting the Cyber Cell to initiate an investigation into its origin. As a precautionary measure, security was also heightened at the mini-secretariat in Sector 9 and the Municipal Bhawan in Sector 35. Administrative work at the Secretariat remained suspended during the operation. No explosive or suspicious material was recovered till the afternoon, and authorities advised the public not to panic while technical teams continue tracing the source of the email.
