Bomb threats to 10 schools in Ludhiana, railway station trigger scare

Emails warn of explosions in schools and trains; sender asks migrant labourers to leave Punjab by April 13.

A wave of alarm swept across Ludhiana on Tuesday after bomb threat emails were sent to at least 10 schools and the city’s railway station, triggering emergency evacuations, intensive security sweeps and a high alert acr oss Punjab’s industrial hub.

Police conducted checking at private schools and later claimed it was a hoax email. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Acting swiftly on the threats, Punjab Police teams, along with bomb disposal and dog squads, were deployed to the affected institutions to conduct thorough searches. As a precautionary measure, students were immediately evacuated while security personnel scanned classrooms, corridors and surrounding areas.

Police officials said the emails were sent from — marammanoubi845@gmail.com — warning of explosions in schools at 1.11 pm and in trains at 3.11 pm. The message also issued a threat asking migrant labourers to leave Punjab before Baisakhi on April 13 and claimed affiliation with the Khalistan National Army. It further referred to the June 15, 1991 Baddowal train incident.

Commissioner of police Swapan Sharma said police teams were immediately deployed to verify the threats. “Police teams and bomb squads are conducting thorough checks at all locations,” he said.

While no suspicious objects had been recovered till the filing of the report, the cyber cell has initiated an investigation and is attempting to trace the IP address of the sender to identify the source of the emails.

As news of the threats spread rapidly on social media and messaging platforms, anxious parents rushed to schools to take their children home.

The schools that received the threat emails include Jesus Sacred Heart School (South City), KVM School (Hambran Road), Army Public School (Dholewal), Ryan International School (Moti Nagar), DAV School (Daad village), BCM School (Basant Avenue), Sacred Heart Convent School, Narayana E-Techno School (Bhattian), Dashmesh Academy (Bhamian) and DAV Public School (BRS Nagar).

Police teams also conducted intensive checks at Ludhiana Railway Station and in trains passing through the city as part of the precautionary measures.

Authorities appealed to the public to remain calm and refrain from circulating unverified information while the investigation is underway.

Past incidents raise concern

The incident comes amid a series of similar digital threats reported across Punjab in recent months.

In February, at least 16 schools in Mohali received nearly identical emails, triggering large-scale evacuations before the threats were eventually declared hoaxes.

Similar incidents have previously been reported in Amritsar and Jalandhar targeting educational institutions and shopping malls. In most cases, the emails originated from masked IP addresses and no explosives were recovered, suggesting attempts to trigger panic and disrupt public order.

Earlier this year, on January 8 and 14, the district and sessions judge in Ludhiana also received emails warning of suicide attacks, forcing authorities to suspend court proceedings and tighten security at the judicial complex.

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