Taj Mahal evacuated briefly after hoax bomb threat

The iconic Taj Mahal was evacuated this morning following a bomb threat made to the police helpline. Security officials conducted searches in the premises of the monument and later found the call to be a hoax, reported news agency PTI.

An unidentified person called the 112 emergency response number of the Uttar Pradesh police at around 9 am and claimed that a bomb was kept inside the monument that is conserved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and protected by armed personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

The Uttar Pradesh police immediately informed the CISF personnel, who asked the visitors to vacate the premises of the iconic 17th-century monument and launched anti-sabotage checks around 9:15 am.

"Bomb Disposal Squad and other teams carried out extensive search at Taj Mahal premises. No such object has been found yet. Man who called up to give info (of bomb) will soon be traced. I'd like to assure you that there's 99 per cent chances of it being hoax call," A Satish Ganesh, IG Agra.

The authories came into action soon after receiving the threat and a bomb disposal squad to the spot. The Western and the Eastern gates of the monument were immediately closed and the tourists were asked to move out.

Shiv Ram Yadav, SP (Protocol) Agra, said that the caller's location has been traced to Firozabad, adding that the CISF has been alerted about the bomb threat.

"We'd 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. Security check is being done around Taj Mahal," he said.