E-Paper
Chandigarh: Schools, secretariat named in fresh bomb hoax; 2nd threat this week
The fresh mail sent to St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, Saupin’s School, Sector 32-A, and Mount Carmel School, Sector 47 at 7.20 am – school opening hour – claimed the explosives had been planted at schools, the UT secretariat and even on Air India flights
Several educational institutions, including at least three city schools, received bomb threats emails on Wednesday morning. After extensive searches, police officials said the threats were a hoax.
The city’s educational institutions, administrative buildings and other public places have been getting a string of such messages since the beginning of this year. Earlier on Tuesday, a hoax bomb threat had been sent to the regional passport office.
The fresh mail sent to St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, Saupin’s School, Sector 32-A, and Mount Carmel School, Sector 47 at 7.20 am – school opening hour – claimed the explosives had been planted at schools, the UT secretariat and even on Air India flights. The sender also mentioned specific timings for the blasts – 1.11 pm at schools, 2.11 pm at secretariat, and 11.11 am and 3.11 pm on Air India blasts.
It also mentioned Chandigarh airport, suggesting that the threat extended beyond educational institutions.
Following the alert, Chandigarh Police swung into action, and deployed bomb disposal squads, dog squads and Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) at all the mentioned locations. Thorough anti-sabotage checks were carried out across school premises, including classrooms, corridors, playgrounds and surrounding areas. Security was also heightened at the secretariat and the airport.
Police officials said that standard operating procedures were strictly followed, with access controlled and evacuations carried out where necessary to ensure safety of students and staff. Cyber police are also analysing email headers, IP logs and other technical data to identify the origin of the message.
