Panic grips Delhi as over 80 schools get bomb threat

Samad Hoque

New Delhi, May 1

Over 80 Delhi schools received bomb threats by email on Wednesday morning, triggering mass evacuations and massive searches as panicked parents rushed to pick up their children. The mass threat was declared a hoax as “nothing objectionable” was found during searches, the police said. The police beefed up security in the Capital.

Fire tenders, ambulances and lines of police vehicles were seen on stand-by outside the schools, while bomb detection teams and bomb disposal squads were conducting searches inside the schools.

The police requested the public not to panic and maintain peace. The police said a total of 131 PCR calls were received regarding the bomb threat.

Sources in the Delhi Police suspect that the email originated from Russia and a single IP address was used to send the emails to schools. They are also suspecting the involvement of an organisation or a group. The Special Cell units of the Delhi Police have registered a case and are currently investigating it.

Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena visited Model Town’s DAV School, which was among the schools that received the bomb scare, and said Delhi Police has traced the origin of the threat emails. He assured that the culprits would be given strict punishment.

Saxena, in a post, said, “Spoke to the Police Commissioner and sought a detailed report into the bomb threats at schools in Delhi-NCR. Have directed Delhi Police to carry out a thorough search on school premises, identify the culprits and ensure there are no lapses.”

The Principal of Mount Abu School in Rohini said, “This morning tested the resilience of schools across Delhi, yet thankfully, it was only a hoax. Bomb threats rattled nearly every school, but hats off to Delhi Police for their lightning-fast and efficient response. They were on-site within minutes, equipped and ready.”

A resident of Mayur Vihar said, “I dropped my son to school. Fifteen minutes later, I received a call from the school to take my child back due to some emergency. I immediately ran to pick him up. We were scared but we are thankful to God that nothing untoward happened.”

According to the Delhi Police, the bomb threat was received in many branches of Delhi Public School (DPS) — in Dwarka, RK Puram, Vasant Kunj and Noida, Mother Mary School in Mayur Vihar, Sanskriti School, Amity School in Pushp Vihar and DAV School in South West Delhi also received the email.

Other schools that did not receive bomb threats were also flooded with queries by parents and guardians.

Education Minister Atishi said nothing was found in the schools and requested parents not to panic. “We are in constant touch with the police and the schools. Would request parents and citizens not to panic. School authorities will be in touch with parents wherever needed,” Atishi said in a post on X. She added that schools would be closely monitored and would function normally from tomorrow.

Directorate of Education issues advisory

New Delhi: The Delhi Government issued an advisory to schools in response to a series of bomb threats. The advisory, issued by the Directorate of Education, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), urged school administrators to promptly check emails received at their official email addresses. It also directed the school administration to immediately inform the district education officials concerned and the Delhi Police if anything unwanted is noticed. “The school authorities should inform parents and law enforcement authorities to initiate appropriate measures regarding the safety and security of the students in the event of any impending threats or challenges, well in time,” the advisory read. TNS