Bomb threat to Indian Museum in Kolkata turns out to be hoax
Kolkata(PTI): A bomb threat to the Indian Museum in Kolkata, which triggered a panic on Tuesday and prompted security personnel to launch a search operation, turned out to be a hoax, officials said.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), responsible for the security of the more than 200-year-old museum, had informed the New Market police station, following which a thorough search was initiated.
It was closed to visitors until a clearance was received from the police, sources said.
According to the officials, the museum authorities received an email which claimed that bombs would be planted in the museum on Tuesday. The message, however, did not specify the exact location.
"There are over 51 rooms in the museum, which are being searched by security personnel. So far, no suspicious object has been found," a police officer said.
The footpath of the Indian Museum on Jawaharlal Nehru Road has been cordoned off with guardrails.
The museum director, A D Choudhury, who is currently in Delhi, told PTI over the phone, "I have heard that an email had been sent. The CISF is conducting a search operation along with police."
To a question whether anything was found so far, he replied "I haven't got any such update."
To another query on whether it could have been a fool's day prank, he said, "Maybe, but we have to treat every such message seriously and inform the security agencies promptly."
Founded in 1814, the museum, which is India’s “oldest and largest” such facility, is located in the heart of Kolkata. It is an autonomous organisation under the administrative control of the Union Ministry of Culture.
Kolkata # Notice put up by the Indian Museum Authority. https://t.co/ZnJCOXgnO9 pic.twitter.com/YTCXbAWEsU
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Health dept to probe into claim about Pune hospital's refusal to admit pregnant woman
Pune (PTI): Maharashtra Minister Prakash Abitkar on Friday said a senior official of the health department will conduct an inquiry into the incident in which a hospital in Pune allegedly refused to admit a pregnant woman due to the non-payment of an advance deposit of Rs 10 lakh.
The alleged incident took place at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, and the woman, Tanisha Bhise, wife of BJP MLC Amit Gorkhe's personal assistant, died after giving birth to twin girls at another hospital.
Talking to PTI, Abitkar said, "We have asked the deputy director of the health department to inquire into what exactly happened at the hospital. After we receive his report, we will take necessary action if the hospital is found to be in the wrong."
Workers of opposition parties, including the Shiv Sena (UBT) Congress and the NCP (SP), staged protests outside the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital and even threw coins at one of the hospital staffers.
Police have been deployed in large numbers outside the facility to prevent untoward incidents.
MLC Gorkhe had on Thursday claimed that despite an assurance to pay Rs 3 lakh immediately, the hospital denied admission to the patient, and even a call from the Mantralaya did not yield any response from them.
The hospital, however, refuted the allegations and blamed the woman's kin for giving "misleading information".
The hospital's medical director, Dr Dhananjay Kelkar, had said they would prepare a detailed report about the incident and submit it to the health department.
