Over 40 schools in the national capital received bomb threats via email on Monday, according to Delhi Police.
Among the targeted schools were Mother Mary’s School, British School, Salwan Public School, Delhi Public School (DPS), and Cambridge School.
The threats began with emails sent to DPS RK Puram and GD Goenka School in Paschim Vihar. DPS received the email at 7:06 AM, while GD Goenka was threatened earlier at 6:15 AM. The email reportedly stated, “I planted multiple bombs inside (school) buildings. The bombs are small and hidden very well. It will not cause much damage to the building, but many people will be injured when the bombs detonate. If I do not receive $30,000, I will detonate the bombs,” according to ANI.
In response, school authorities acted swiftly, evacuating students and sending them home. Police, along with fire services, dog squads, and bomb detection teams, conducted thorough searches at the affected schools. So far, no suspicious items have been found at DPS or GD Goenka.
This incident follows a bomb threat sent last week to Rohini’s Venkateshwar Global School, which was later confirmed as a hoax. Similarly, a low-intensity explosion occurred a day earlier in Prashant Vihar, within a one-kilometer radius of the school. Parents were promptly informed, and students were sent home as a precaution.
Officials from Delhi Fire Services (DFS), alongside police and bomb disposal teams, have carried out extensive searches of the school premises. Notably, two months ago, several CRPF schools in Delhi and across India faced similar email threats.
The Delhi High Court recently directed the Aam Aadmi Party-led government and Delhi Police to formulate a comprehensive action plan, including a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to manage bomb threats and other emergencies. The court emphasized the need for clear roles among stakeholders, including school administrations, municipal authorities, and law enforcement agencies, and set an eight-week deadline for implementation. Justice Sanjeev Narula highlighted the importance of consulting relevant departments and stakeholders in developing the action plan.
In neighboring Uttar Pradesh, bomb threats targeting three key locations in Lucknow were also declared hoaxes. An anonymous caller to the emergency helpline 112 claimed to have planted bombs at Hussainganj metro station, Charbagh railway station, and Alambagh bus stand. Each location was thoroughly searched, according to ADCP-Central Manish Singh.
Recently, similar threats have been reported nationwide, including at the Taj Mahal and in Mumbai, where a WhatsApp message threatened an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The message, sent to Mumbai Police’s traffic helpline, mentioned ISI agents and a plot to carry out a bombing.
