Taj Mahal temporarily shut after bomb threat call
Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, was brieflt shut for visitors on Thursday morning after an unidentified person called the police to inform that some explosive devices have been parked inside the premises of the monument.
Shiv Ram Yadav, SP (Protocol) Agra, said that police received information from control room that a bomb is kept at Taj Mahal which will explode soon. He said that the person called the 112 emergency response number of the Uttar Pradesh Police.
All the tourists present inside the Taj Mahal were evacuated immediately and a massive search operation was launched. Police later siad that it was aa hoax call and the monument was reopened for the tourists.
"We had received info from control room that a man called them up saying that there are discrepancies in military recruitment and he wasn't recruited. A Bomb is kept at Taj Mahal which will explode soon," Shiv Ram Yadav said. He said that the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been alerted and regular security checks are being done.
A Satish Ganesh, IG Agra, said that bomb disposal squad and other teams carried out extensive search at Taj Mahal premises. "No such object has been found yet," he said.
"Nothing suspicious has been found and the checks are almost done," a senior CISF officer told PTI in Delhi.
The caller's location was traced to Firozabad, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
The monument that is conserved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and protected by armed personnel of the CISF.
