6 schools receive bomb threats; investigators say emails a hoax

The threats come amid repeated disruptions that are reducing schools’ instructional days and complicating efforts to meet the prescribed academic calendar.

At least six schools in the Capital received bomb threatening e-mails on Thursday morning, with one such warning students from attending an upcoming concert by a Punjabi singer, police said.

Over the last three years, schools that typically operate around 240 days a year have lost nearly 40 days to bomb-threat disruptions (HT)

Police said the e-mail was received around 9 am and bomb squads rushed and combed the schools’ premises before declaring it a hoax.

“The squads conducted a thorough check and after ensuring that premises were safe, the administration was informed, and the classes resumed,” the officer said.

The schools receiving threatening e-mail included British School, Mount Carmel, Ahlcon International School and Ahlcon Public School.

The e-mail, seen by HT, was sent via a Google mail ID. The sender also tagged Delhi Police Headquarters, Patiala Courts and Karkardooma Courts.

A banned terrorist organisation signed the e-mail.

Threats Reported in Noida and Greater Noida

To avoid panic, Noida and Greater Noida police did not disclose how many schools received the threat.

Bomb Threats Disrupt the Academic Calendar

Repeated bomb threats to schools in Delhi are not only triggering evacuations and security checks but also eating into the academic calendar, with several private schools facing the prospect of completing fewer than 200 working days this year against the prescribed 220, school heads and parents said.

Over the last three years, schools that typically operate around 240 days a year have lost nearly 40 days to bomb-threat disruptions, plus about two weeks of classes lost to pollution-related closures and additional days affected by rain and extreme weather.

Unlike pollution closures, when some schools have shifted classes online, bomb threats generally result in immediate evacuation and no online teaching, making it difficult for schools to recover the lost instructional time.