A heightened security alert has been issued across Nagpur after an anonymous letter claimed that radioactive materials had been planted at key locations, including the RSS headquarters and the BJP office, officials said on Thursday.
The letter reached the office of Police Commissioner Dr Ravinder Singhal on April 27, police said.
The police formed multiple teams and included the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and energy experts. They conducted extensive searches in the places mentioned in the letter, but they have not found any traces of radioactive materials so far.
Police suspect the message may be a hoax, and an investigation is underway.
Police sources said the message was written in English and was supposedly sent by an organization calling itself “DSS,” and included objectionable notes and warned that cesium-137, a highly radioactive substance, had been planted in several places in the city.
The letter specifically mentioned the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters, Smriti Mandir (a memorial dedicated to RSS founder Dr KP Hedgewar and the organisation’s second president MS Golwalkar), and the BJP office in Ganespeeth.
She added that the radioactive material was planted under the seats of metro trains on the Orange and Aqua lines, and Applebus services operating near these areas.
The letter also claimed the source of the material was a cancer hospital, and warned of a city-wide radiation threat.
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A senior police official said: “After receiving the message, we immediately activated all emergency protocols. Multiple teams were deployed, and all the mentioned sensitive locations were thoroughly checked.”
He added that the Anti-Terrorism Squad, the National Emergency Response Force and atomic energy experts conducted extensive searches at the identified locations.
An ATS official said: “So far, no traces of radioactive materials have been discovered. At first glance, it seems to be a hoax, but we are investigating it very seriously.”
The letter also mentioned that detonators and gelatin sticks were recently found near the Dosar Bhavan Metro station, and claimed responsibility for it, calling it a “warning”.
Following the threat, a case was registered at Sadar police station based on a complaint lodged by the ATS. Security has been tightened significantly, especially around the RSS headquarters, which is already under round-the-clock protection by CISF and Nagpur police personnel.
Another official at the counter-terrorism agency said: “We are not taking any chances. Surveillance operations have been strengthened, and efforts are underway to trace the source of the message and identify those behind the so-called DSS group.”
