Six Delhi schools get bomb threat emails, search operations underway

NEW DELHI: Six schools in Delhi received a bomb threat on Friday via email. The police were following the usual standard operating procedure (SOP) of undertaking detailed checks, said officials.

The schools are Bhatnagar Public School, Paschim Vihar; Cambridge School, Sriniwaspuri; DPS, East of Kailash; South Delhi Public School, Defence Colony; Delhi Police Public School, Safdarjung Enclave; and Venkatesh Public School, Rohini. The threats triggered panic among parents and authorities.

Delhi Police statement in a statement said, "We are following the usual SOP of undertaking detailed checks wherever such mails are received."

Fire department officials and police teams rushed to the locations after the first alert was received at 4.30 a.m. After thorough inspections, officials reported that no suspicious items had been found at any of the schools.

The email read, "A secret dark web group is involved in this activity and many red rooms also. The bombs are powerful enough to destroy the buildings and harm people. And, from today till the 14th of December, means tomorrow, in both of the days, there is an expected parent-teacher meeting to happen and, through our dark sources, it is also confirmed that one of the schools involved in all the emails is currently conducting marching for their sports day, in which students gather in a collective field, making a huge crowd, which is a clear advantage, while the building will be left alone with only a few staffs and no one to look around..."

The email also included the dates on which these schools may face a bomb blast, "December 13-14 these both days can be the day your school will face a bomb blast."

"Reply to this email for our demands, otherwise, the bombs will be detonated," warned the mail.

The emails of earlier threats targeting schools in the city warned of imminent danger. Authorities confirmed that previous threats, including one on December 9 targeting schools in RK Puram and Paschim Vihar, also turned out to be hoaxes. On that occasion, students were sent home as a precaution while the premises were thoroughly searched.

This incident follows a string of similar email threats in recent weeks. On December 11, over 40 schools in Delhi were targeted with emails demanding a ransom. The emails claimed multiple bombs were planted in school buildings, hidden in ways designed to inflict significant harm on individuals while sparing structural damage. In all cases, no explosives were found, but the threats caused significant disruption.

In light of these repeated hoaxes, the Delhi High Court had earlier instructed the Delhi government and Delhi Police to develop a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling such emergencies. The court directed authorities to submit a comprehensive action plan by January 2024 to ensure swift and effective responses to bomb threats.

Authorities continue to investigate the source of these emails. Parents have expressed concerns about the security and safety of their children and urged schools to enhance security measures.