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Bomb threat emails trigger panic at 3 Ludhiana schools
Threat emails warn of blasts at Chandigarh, Jalandhar railway stations on July 17 and target Union minister Ravneet Bittu over remarks on Diljit Dosanjh
Panic gripped three private schools in Ludhiana on Monday after they received bomb threat emails warning of blasts at railway stations in Chandigarh and Jalandhar on July 17. The emails also threatened to target Union minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu over his recent remarks concerning singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh.
Police later declared the threats a hoax after extensive searches and said the emails were being verified as part of the investigation.
The emails, received around 10.12 am, were purportedly sent by a person claiming to be associated with the Khalistan National Army. According to police, the email also threatened to lob bombs at Bittu while referring to his remarks on Diljit Dosanjh amid the controversy surrounding the film Sutlej.
The threat triggered an immediate security response, with police teams, anti-sabotage squads and dog squads rushing to the schools.
One private school near the Ludhiana railway station suspended classes and asked parents to pick up their children, prompting anxious scenes outside the campus as families gathered to take their wards home.
Search teams checked classrooms, libraries, washrooms, school buses and other parts of the campuses before declaring the threat a hoax. No suspicious object was found during the searches, police said.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Sameer Verma said police responded immediately after receiving information from the schools. “Our teams, along with anti-sabotage units and dog squads, conducted thorough searches of the school premises. Nothing suspicious was found. We are working with cyber experts to trace the sender,” he said.
Police said the authenticity, origin and contents of the emails were being verified, while cyber teams were analysing technical evidence to identify the sender and ascertain where the emails originated from.
Monday’s incident was the seventh bomb threat scare reported in Ludhiana in the past seven months.
Earlier this year, several schools, the Ludhiana railway station, the mayor’s office and the district courts received similar anonymous threat emails, all of which turned out to be hoaxes after security checks. Despite repeated investigations, police have so far been unable to identify those behind the series of anonymous emails.
May 25: Ludhiana mayor’s office receives a bomb threat email that also mentions properties linked to singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh would be targeted.
May 18: Bal Bharti School, Dugri, DAV School and Sacred Heart Convent School, Sarabha Nagar receive bomb threat emails mentioning attack at Halwara airport.
April 23: Five private schools receive emails threatening to blow up railway tracks and warning parents against sending their children to school.
March 11: At least 10 schools and the Ludhiana railway station receive bomb threat emails, triggering a citywide security sweep.
January 8 & 14: The Ludhiana district courts receive emails warning of suicide attacks,
leading to heightened security and suspension of court proceedings.
