Bomb hoax at 7 Delhi schools causes panic; 12-year-old traced for 1 hoax

Following the alerts, the campuses were evacuated, students were sent home

At least seven schools across Delhi received bomb threat emails on Wednesday -- the third consecutive day of such hoaxes in the city -- triggering chaos and panic among parents, students, and staff.

Security personnel conduct search at Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj on Wednesday. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Investigators, meanwhile, said they tracked down a 12-year-old who allegedly sent one hoax threat this week.

The schools targeted on Wednesday included St Thomas School in Dwarka (which also received a threat on Tuesday), Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, Mother’s International School in Hauz Khas, Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodi Estate, and Prudence School in Pitampura and Ashok Vihar, police said.

Following the alerts, the campuses were evacuated, students were sent home, and bomb detection and disposal squads, along with Delhi Fire Services and local police, conducted intensive searches. All threats were later declared hoaxes.

Investigators said that a 12-year-old boy from south Delhi has been traced in connection with one of the earlier threats. “The boy, a student of a private school, used his personal mobile phone to send the hoax email. He was questioned, counselled, and sent home. He told us it was a prank and he’s undergoing treatment for a mental health condition,” said a senior officer.

DCP (Dwarka) confirmed the boy had sent Tuesday’s threat targeting St Thomas School and St Stephen’s College. “We suspect minors may be behind Wednesday’s threats too. We are following all SOPs and urge parents not to panic,” he added.

The emails claimed explosives were hidden in school bags and referenced unknown entities like “Roadkill” and “Benji.” Police are also probing whether the emails sent on Monday and Wednesday are linked, though many have been routed through VPNs or the dark web, making them difficult to trace.

Over the past three days, more than 10 schools in the city have received bomb threats. Monday’s alerts targeted the Navy School in Chanakyapuri, CRPF School in Dwarka, and a school in Rohini.