Ludhiana, May 22 -- Panic gripped Mini Secretariat and deputy commissioner (DC) office on Wednesday morning after a bomb threat email was received on the official email ID of the DC, claiming the presence of an RDX-based improvised explosive device (IED) on the premises.

The police were alerted immediately after the email was received. As a precautionary measure, the entry of the public was temporarily halted.

Police teams, including bomb disposal teams, dog squads and other security personnel, quickly launched a full-scale search operation. The teams scanned every nook and cranny of the complex - including the DC office, regional transport office, education department, police complex, excise and taxation department and court complex be...