Several tourists at the Taj Mahal were asked to vacate the premises on Thursday morning after authorities received a bomb threat from an unidentified caller.
Officials told news agency PTI that 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.
Shiv Ram Yadav, Superintendent of Police Protocol, Agra said a man called the police control room alleging discrepancies in military recruitment and informed about a bomb at the Taj Mahal premises which would explode soon.
"We have received information from the control room that a man called them up saying that a bomb is kept at the Taj Mahal which will explode soon. The security check is being done around Taj Mahal," Shiv Ram Yadav, SP (Protocol) Agra told ANI.
The Taj Mahal has been temporarily shut and security has been beefed up following the incident.
A Satish Ganesh, Inspector General, Agra Range assured people that there is no need to panic and that it was only a hoax call. However, he said, the police are following the drill and conducting searches.
"I want to assure you 99 per cent this is a hoax call but we are following the drill. CISF officers informed me that Taj Mahal will reopen for tourists in half an hour and there is no need to panic," Ganesh told ANI.
The hoax call has been traced to Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh, an officer was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
(With inputs from Agencies)
