Taj Mahal premises evacuated after hoax bomb call

The Taj Mahal complex in Agra was temporarily shut after a man called the control room saying a bomb has been placed on the premises, which would explode soon.

The police said 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).

"We'd received info from the control room that a man called them up saying that there are discrepancies in military recruitment and he wasn't recruited. A bomb is kept at the Taj Mahal which will explode soon. A security check is being done around Taj Mahal," Shiv Ram Yadav, SP (Protocol) Agra, told ANI.

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.

"Nothing suspicious has been found and the checks are almost done," a senior CISF officer said in Delhi.

The hoax call has been traced to Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh, another officer said.

Further investigation is underway.

(With inputs from PTI)