Diljit Dosanjh's Indore concert gets bomb threat; singer says show is on

The Madhya Pradesh High Court's Gwalior bench received an email on Tuesday (10 November) threatening a bomb blast and referring to singer Diljit Dosanjh's concert in Indore on 15 November, police said. Dosanjh said the show will go ahead as planned. Police have tightened security at the High Court and are trying to trace the sender.

The email, sent to the High Court's website, threatened to blow up the Gwalior bench building and also carried threatening remarks about the concert and certain organisations, City Superintendent of Police Robin Jain told reporters. “Police are on alert and security at the High Court premises has been strengthened. Police in Indore and Bhopal are also assisting us,” he said. The email also named locations in Indore, Gwalior and Bhopal, and a separate team is examining where it came from, according to The Indian Express. Police sources told the paper that early findings link the IP address to a foreign network, but the real origin has not been established.

It is the latest in a series. On 2 November, three private schools and the office of Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava received emails, written in Punjabi, threatening blasts and warning schools against sending students to the concert. Bomb disposal squads searched the three schools and found no explosives, and police said early investigation suggested the emails were hoaxes. The Crime Branch is examining technical evidence to identify the senders. The reports did not mention any arrests.

Dosanjh addressed the speculation on an Instagram Live session on Tuesday. “15 tareekh ko Indore aa rahe hain, 101 per cent aa rahe hain! Sabse pehle aakar poha khaayenge, phir energy lekar fir chak de phatte,” he said, which roughly translates to “I am coming to Indore on the 15th, 101 per cent. First I will come and eat poha, then I will bring the energy.” He added: “Koi jo marzi bole, main 15 tareekh ko zaroor milunga. Aap bas meri baat par vishwas rakho” (“Whatever anyone says, I will definitely meet you on the 15th. Just trust my word”).

The concert, part of Dosanjh's Aura Tour, is scheduled for the C-21 ground in Indore. It was in the news earlier after the district child protection officer, acting on a complaint, barred four of his songs, Patiala Peg, 5 Tara Theke, Jeb Vicho Feem and Jatt Fire Karda, from being performed at the venue, over concerns that their references to alcohol and violence could affect children. Children above the age of five are allowed to attend.