NEW DELHI: Over 40 schools in Delhi, including Delhi Public School in RK Puram and GD Goenka Public School in Paschim Vihar, got bomb threats via email. After thorough inspections, Delhi Police confirmed on Monday that the threats were hoaxes, as no suspicious items were found
According to officials, the email reads, “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.”
Immediate Action Taken The alarming situation prompted schools to send students home for safety. Authorities, including the police and fire department, were informed around 7 a.m., and swift measures were taken to investigate the threats.
Previous Bomb Threat Incident Recently, a private school in Delhi’s Rohini, located close to the site of a low-intensity blast in Prashant Vihar, also received a bomb threat via email. However, after thorough inspection, the threat was declared a hoax, as confirmed by Delhi Fire Service officials.
Court’s Directive on Bomb Threat Preparedness On November 19, the Delhi High Court directed the state government and police to create a robust action plan to handle bomb threats effectively. The plan includes formulating a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for such emergencies, with a deadline of eight weeks to implement these measures.
Bomb Threats in Aviation The issue of bomb threats extends beyond schools. Data shows a surge in hoax threats targeting airlines, with 999 incidents reported between January and mid-November 2024. Alarmingly, 666 of these occurred in October alone.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation noted that such threats disrupt airline operations, causing significant inconvenience. The monthly breakdown revealed 116 incidents in June, 60 in April, 15 in September, and smaller numbers in other months.
Despite the high volume of hoax threats, authorities remain vigilant to ensure public safety and minimize disruptions.
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