Nearly 100 schools across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) were forced to dismiss students early today following bomb threats received via email. Police authorities swiftly initiated search operations in response to the threats, although no suspicious items were discovered. The Ministry of Home Affairs has categorized the incident as a hoax.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena disclosed that the police had tracked the origin of the hoax emails. Investigations revealed that a single IP address was used to dispatch the threatening emails to various schools. While the email domain appeared to be of Russian origin, the exact source remains undetermined.
Schools such as Sanskriti School in Chanakyapuri, Mother Mary School in Mayur Vihar, and Delhi Public School in Dwarka were among the first to receive the threatening emails. Subsequently, around 100 other educational institutions received similar communications, alluding to the presence of explosives on their premises.
In response to the threat, Mother Mary School interrupted ongoing examinations and declared an emergency evacuation, urging all individuals to vacate the premises immediately. Delhi Public School promptly informed parents of the situation via email and facilitated the early dismissal of students as a precautionary measure.
Law enforcement agencies swiftly deployed bomb detection teams, bomb disposal squads, and personnel from the Delhi Fire Service to the affected schools. Visuals from the scenes depicted parents hurrying to collect their children following the evacuation orders.
Additionally, some schools, although not directly targeted, opted to dismiss students early as a preventive measure. Delhi’s Education Minister Atishi assured the public that thorough searches were conducted at all affected schools, yet no suspicious items were found. She urged citizens not to succumb to panic and emphasized the close coordination between law enforcement agencies and educational institutions in addressing the situation. This incident echoes a similar hoax threat that occurred at Delhi Police School in RK Puram back in February.