UP: Bomb scare at 10 hotels keeps police on toes

Lucknow: At least 10 major hotels in Lucknow received bomb threats via email on Sunday, prompting local law enforcement to conduct extensive search operations at the targeted properties. The anonymous sender demanded a ransom of $55,000 to prevent the detonation of explosives allegedly hidden on the hotel premises.

The threatening email read: “Bombs are hidden in black bags on the grounds of your hotel. I want $55,000 or I will detonate the explosives and blood will spread everywhere. Any attempt at defusing the bomb will detonate them. To pay ransom contact me on my primary email address.”

The hotels targeted include Comfort Hotel Vista, Clarks Awadh, Saraca Lucknow, Fortune Park BBD, Lemon Tree Hotel, The Piccadily Lucknow, Hotel Casa Aishbagh, Hotel Dayal Gateway, and Hotel Silvete. Management of these hotels immediately reported the threats to the police, who have initiated investigations and are currently conducting searches to ensure the safety of guests and staff.

At the time of filing this report, the Lucknow Police was yet to issue an official statement regarding the ongoing situation or the nature of the threat.

The incident in Lucknow follows similar threats made just two days ago to three hotels in Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh, raising concerns over the potential spread of such threats to different regions. Security measures have been heightened as authorities continue their search operations and investigate the source of the emails.