Punjab Techie Held in Golden Temple Bomb Threat Probe

On Saturday, 19 July 2025, Punjab Police detained 24‑year‑old software engineer Shubham Dubey from Faridabad, Haryana, in connection with a series of bomb threat e‑mails sent to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) regarding the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

The sacred shrine has received a total of five threatening e‑mails since Monday, 14 July, warning of an RDX blast. The SGPC lodged a police complaint after the first message, prompting heightened security and the deployment of bomb‑disposal squads around the premises.

Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar confirmed Dubey’s arrest under the supervision of the state’s cyber‑crime wing and central intelligence agencies. “While investigating, our team reached Faridabad in Haryana and techie, Shubham Dubey, was detained and is being interrogated… His devices have also been seized and are under investigation by the forensic team,” Bhullar told ANI.

Dubey, a BTech graduate who previously worked with two software firms and is currently unemployed, is reported to have no prior criminal record. Authorities traced him through digital forensics and device analysis. His laptop and mobile phones have been sent to a forensic laboratory.

Commissioner Bhullar noted that e‑mail content suggested links to Tamil Nadu, raising the possibility of a wider conspiracy. “The content of the e‑mail is taking the investigation towards the southern states… We are in touch with Tamil Nadu and other southern states’ police,” he stated.

SGPC Chief Secretary Kulwant Singh Manan warned that repeated threats over several days “indicate that there cannot be one person behind this and there are chances of the involvement of a group”.

In response to the threats, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann convened a meeting on Thursday, 17 July in Chandigarh, joined by senior police officials including DGP Gaurav Yadav. On X, he appealed to citizens:

“We will not allow any compromise on the security of Punjab. Our security agencies and the Punjab Police are fully alert… Anti‑national and anti‑social forces will be dealt with utmost strictness.”  

He also asked people to “be cautious of rumours” and reassured the public that no religious sites would face any threat.

Security has been tightened at the Golden Temple, with dog squads and bomb disposal teams conducting thorough sweeps following each threat.

As investigations continue, police await forensic results from Dubey’s seized devices and hope to trace IP addresses via internet‑service‑provider data. The involvement of southern‑state networks remains under scrutiny. Meanwhile, security has been bolstered at the holy site to protect pilgrims and uphold public confidence.