Ludhiana: Bomb threat to Hyatt Regency hotel; guests evacuated; hoaxer traced to Delhi

Panic gripped the guests staying in a Ludhiana luxury hotel after a bomb threat via the hotel's official WhatsApp and in its social media handles. A mentally unsound individual detained by Delhi police for questioning.

Ludhiana: A luxury hotel in Punjab's Ludhiana received a bomb threat in its WhatsApp number and on its social media handle, prompting evacuation of the guests and a thorough search for explosives of the premises, police said on Tuesday. The messages were sent on Monday afternoon by a man from Delhi.

He reportedly sent these threat messages to the social media handle of Hyatt Regency Hotel stating that the hotel would be blown up. Ludhiana police swung into action and evacuated the hotel as a precautionary measure soon after the alert and pressed bomb detection squad to screen the premises.

Joint Commissioner of Police Sonia Mishra said, "We have intensified security check in the hotel. All precautionary measures are being taken to ensure the safety of the citizens." Police said "the threat messages were received on Ludhiana hotel’s official WhatsApp number. The hotel management immediately conveyed it to the police. As a precaution, the police evacuated the hotel and didn’t allow any new visitors to check in."

JCP Mishra further said that "based on the mobile number of the person who sent the message, the Ludhiana police zeroed in on the caller's address and location. As he was found to be staying in Delhi, the Delhi Police were asked to act on our behalf and detain the suspect for questioning."

He said another team from Ludhiana rushed to Delhi to join the probe. He added that the suspect was said to be mentally unstable. "The matter was being further investigated with the help of Delhi police. Security had been beefed up for now in the hotel and all guests at the hotel had been urged to cooperate."

There were minor altercations with the guests. The hotel staff doused the situation apologising to the guests who were made to stand out in the cold without any winter gear while the police was screening the hotel premises for any explosives.