New Delhi: Authorities evacuated students from nearly 100 schools in Delhi and the national capital region early Wednesday, and mounted a thorough search of premises following bomb threats received via email which landed as early as 4 am.
The warnings followed threats to a hospital in Delhi and two airports in the country just days prior, continuing a pattern of threatening emails and calls to schools since last year.
In a formal statement later, the police said they had conducted “a thorough check of all such schools as per protocol”. “However, nothing objectionable has been found so far. It appears that these calls seem to be hoax. Delhi Police requests the public not to panic and maintain peace,” it said.
Visiting one, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena told the media that the police were fully prepared and would prevent any untoward incident from happening. “The Delhi Police has found where these emails are coming from, and an investigation is underway. All I would like to say is that the culprits will not be spared and will be given strict punishment,” he said.
#WATCH | On bomb threat to several schools in Delhi-NCR, Delhi LG VK Saxena says, "Delhi police reached very quickly and the entire area has been cordoned off and search operations are going on. Dog squads, and bomb disposal units are also working. I want to assure the people of… pic.twitter.com/JhcfvbkKjX
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2024
Delhi Minister Atishi took to social media to inform the public that the government was in constant communication with the Delhi Police and schools, and urged parents not to panic.
“Some schools have received bomb threats today morning. Students have been evacuated and those premises are being searched by Delhi Police. So far nothing has been found in any of the schools… Would request parents and citizens not to panic. School authorities will be in touch with parents wherever needed,” the post read.
The threats follow a pattern, according to the Delhi Police, with emails sent to numerous locations since Tuesday. “The mail does not mention a dateline or BCC, which means that one message has been sent to many places. The investigation is ongoing,” an officer said.
ThePrint accessed one mail which was sent from the address sawarim@mail.ru. The email contained threatening language — possibly with religious overtones — including a quote that read: “Kill them wherever you meet and drive them out of the places from which they drove you (2:191).” This was followed by details about multiple explosive devices in schools.
The mail ended with: “We’ll break it down and bury them under it. This is the fate of unbelievers. We will unleash fire from under your feet. This is your last refuge.”
“A probe is underway to trace the origin of the email, which prima facie appears to have been sent from Russia,” a source in Delhi police said.
Among the schools that got the email were Delhi Public Schools in Dwarka., Wazirabad and Vasant Kunj, Mother Mary School in East Mayur Vihar, Sanskriti School, and Amity School in Pushp Vihar. So far, no suspicious items have been found in any of the schools.
Two days ago, the Chacha Nehru Hospital in Delhi’s Shahdara had received a threat, as did airports in Kolkata and Jaipur. CISF units, a bank and a business group were also targeted.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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