At least 30 schools in the national capital received bomb threats over e-mail in the early hours of Friday, the second such incident this week, triggering a multi-agency search of their premises. According to police, nothing suspicious was found in any of the schools after the searches.
Delhi Public School (DPS) in East of Kailash, DPS Vasant Kunj, Frank Anthony Public School, Salwan School, Modern School Barakhamba Road, North Delhi Public School in Shalimar Bagh and Bal Bharati Public School and Cambridge School, were among some of the institutions that received the threat. This has prompted the authorities to send students back home. The schools have also sent messages to guardians asking them not to send their children to classes today.
The latest threats come close on the heels of at least 44 schools receiving similar e-mails on December 9. Police had declared those threats as hoaxes. The Special Cell of the Delhi Police has registered a case of criminal intimidation and conspiracy but it is yet to get any lead on the culprits. Acting on the information, the fire department, police and bomb-detection teams, along with dog squads, rushed to the schools and conducted thorough checking.
Reacting to the development, former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal pointed out that it was the second such instance within a week and wondered how these bomb threats would affect the children. "This is the second time in this week that Delhi schools have received bomb threats, which is extremely serious and worrying. If this continues, how badly will it affect the children? What will happen to their studies?" he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Ravi Singh said that they conducted checking followed by security protocol but nothing suspicious was found and it is suspected to be a hoax.
"Investigations so far have established that the e-mail was sent from abroad but further probe is on. Around 30 schools, including three in our district, have received such e-mails," Singh said.
DCP South West Surendra Chaudhary said, "In our South West district, mail was received in four schools at around 12:54 am and it was about the presence of explosives in the schools. Our teams went and checked and followed proper SOP and we did not find anything suspicious there. We also informed the school authorities and also told the parents not to panic."
Cambridge School principal Madhavi Goswami said she was checking the school's e-mail when she came across the threat. "I informed the police and they worked proactively. We were assured by the Delhi Police about the investigation. We informed the parents that classes would be held online on Friday," she said.
Karamveer, a security guard at the South Delhi Public School, said he received a message at 7:20 am, following which the school authorities asked the parents to return home with their children.
"The school administration decided that all the students should be asked to return. Only a few children were already inside the campus and they too were sent back," he said.
These latest threats come days after at least 44 schools receiving similar e-mails on December 9. Police had also declared those threats as hoaxes.
A Delhi Fire Services official said, "We received calls (regarding the threat e-mails) from the Bhatnagar International School in Paschim Vihar at 4:21 am, Cambridge School in Sriniwaspuri at 6:23 am and DPS Amar Colony in East of Kailash at 6:35 am."
"(Calls were also received) from the South Delhi Public School in Defence Colony at 7:57 am, Delhi Police Public School in Safdarjung at 8:02 am and Venkateshwar Global School in Rohini at 8:30 am," he added.
A police source said the e-mails were received at 12:54 am, with the sender mentioning "parent-teachers' meeting" and "sports day" activities in the schools. The sender also mentioned that the "schools will face bomb blasts" on Friday and Saturday, the source said.
According to the source, the content of the e-mail reads: "This e-mail is to inform you that there are many explosives in your school premises and I am sure that you all do not check your students' bags frequently when they enter the school premises.
"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 December 14, means tomorrow, on both days, there is an expected parent-teacher meeting to be happened. And through our dark sources, it is also confirmed that one of the schools involved in all the e-mails is currently conducting marching for their sports day, in which students gather in a 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 e-mail further said that the explosions could take place on Friday and Saturday. "Reply back to this e-mail for our demands, otherwise the bombs will be detonated," it added.
In May, more than 250 schools, hospitals and other installations had received similar e-mail threats, which are yet to solved.
