Making it the sixth incident in 11 days, several schools across the national Capital and its adjoining regions including Noida and Faridabad on Friday received bomb threats via mail, which has been found to be from the United States of America (USA).
According to police sources, during the investigation it was revealed that the e-mail from which the threat has been received has been sent from the USA as it is linked with a mobile number from there. A senior police officer said that the contents of the emails are similar to the accused threatening to blow up schools if he doesn’t receive 50,000 US dollars. However, the bomb threat later turned out to be a hoax.
Over 50 threats have been wreaking havoc since May, disrupting the education of children and creating a sense of fear among the parents. Several schools including two in Dwarka, one each in outer Delhi and South Delhi received bomb threats on Friday.
"We received a call regarding the bomb threat at 5:02 am from DPS, Dwarka, in Sector 23," the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said, “In the wee hours of December 20, PCR calls and information at 4 AM and 7:56 AM respectively regarding bomb threats in schools were received at Dwarka North police station and Jaffarpur Kalan police station respectively.”
“In response, local police, PCRs, and fire-brigade reached the schools. The school staff apprised that they had received e-mails each from unknown sources regarding the bomb threat. School premises were checked by local police and BDTs. After checking, nothing suspicious was found and it was all hoax,” he added.
Similar threats were also received in Air Force Bal Bharti School in Lodi Road, Vishal Bharti in Paschim Vihar and Ekta Model School in Najafgarh, which turned to hoaxes. “At some places, students were asked not to come to school, while others switched to online classes
after receiving the threat,” an officer said.
These threats to blow up the school, bomb squad and dog squad also reached Noida as a threatening mail was received at Lotus Valley International School in Sector 126 in Noida on Friday morning. “The manager there informed the Noida Police about it. As soon as the information was received, the police reached the spot. During this, the bomb squad and dog squad conducted a search operation in the entire school, but nothing was found there. However, the children were sent home keeping in mind their safety,” an officer said.
Police said that an email was received on the school mail at 12 o'clock late night and was read by the principal in the morning reached the school at around 8:00 am in the morning. “The search operation continued for about two hours in the school. Necessary legal action is being taken by investigating the email,” an officer stated. Similar hoax e-mail was also received in DPS Faridabad.