New Delhi: Over 40 schools in Delhi received bomb threats via email on Monday, according to Delhi Police. The institutions targeted included Mother Mary’s School, British School, Salwan Public School, Delhi Public School (DPS), and Cambridge School.

The threats initially surfaced at DPS RK Puram and GD Goenka School in Paschim Vihar. DPS received the alarming email at 7:06 am, while GD Goenka was alerted at 6:15 am. The threatening message reportedly read: "I planted multiple bombs inside the school buildings. The bombs are small and well-hidden. While the building won't suffer much damage, many people will be injured when the bombs detonate. If I don’t receive $30,000, I will detonate the bombs."

In response, school authorities acted swiftly by sending students home. Delhi Police, along with fire officials, bomb squads, dog squads, and local law enforcement, conducted thorough searches at the schools. So far, no suspicious items have been found at either DPS or GD Goenka.

This incident follows a similar threat last week, where Rohini’s Venkateshwar Global School received a bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax. A day before the current threats, a low-intensity blast occurred in Prashant Vihar, about a kilometer away from one of the schools.

Notably, two months ago, several CRPF schools across Delhi and the country were also targeted with bomb threat emails.

In light of these incidents, the Delhi High Court recently directed the Aam Aadmi Party government and Delhi Police to develop a comprehensive action plan and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling bomb threats and emergencies. The court emphasized defining clear roles for stakeholders, including school administrations, police, and municipal authorities, and mandated coordination for effective response. Authorities have eight weeks to finalize the SOP.


Meanwhile, similar bomb scares occurred in Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai. In Lucknow, threats were reported at Hussainganj metro station, Charbagh railway station, and Alambagh bus stand, but all turned out to be false alarms, according to police. Additionally, Mumbai Police received a WhatsApp message threatening a bomb attack targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, mentioning two ISI agents as part of the plot.

Despite the spate of threats, many have proven to be hoaxes, underscoring the need for enhanced preparedness and vigilance.