Delhi HC issues notice in contempt plea against govt, cops

The court directed the personal presence of officials from the Delhi Police and Delhi government to explain what steps had been taken

The Delhi high court on Thursday issued a notice on a contempt plea against the Delhi chief secretary and police commissioner for failing to formulate a mechanism to deal with emergency situations such as bomb threats in schools.

The bench of Justice Anish Dayal, hearing a plea filed by advocate Arpit Bhargava, listed the matter for May 19. (HT Archive)

The bench of Justice Anish Dayal, hearing a plea filed by advocate Arpit Bhargava, listed the matter for May 19 and directed the personal presence of officials from the Delhi Police and Delhi government to explain what steps had been taken since the court’s previous order.

On November 14, the court had given the Delhi government eight weeks to devise a comprehensive action plan and draft a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to respond to bomb threats and prevent potential disasters.

The SOP was to clearly outline the roles of all stakeholders, including law enforcement, school authorities, and municipal agencies, to ensure seamless coordination.

To facilitate effective implementation, the court had also directed the government to hold regular training sessions for students, staff, and other stakeholders and to establish a grievance redressal mechanism to addressing the concerns raised by affected parties and stakeholders.

In his contempt petition, Bhargava said the eight-week period had lapsed in January, yet no action plan or SOP had been communicated or implemented, even as several bomb threats were reported after the deadline.

The petition argued that the authorities’ inaction had left schools in Delhi vulnerable, spreading fear and panic among children, teachers, and parents. “The lack of a standardised response protocol and preventive measures directly endangers the safety and mental health of lakhs of school-going children in the capital,” it said.

The Delhi Police and the chief secretary did not respond to HT’s queries for a comment.

The high court’s intervention comes amid growing concern over frequent hoax bomb threats to schools, prompting calls for a swift and coordinated emergency response framework.According to Delhi Police, more than 500 hoax bomb threats were received in 2024 at the Delhi airport, and various schools, colleges and hospitals in the city.