Four Noida schools receive hoax bomb threat mails, minor detained

By late Wednesday night, police apprehended a 14-year-old boy, a Cass 9 student of one of the four schools, and said it was he who allegedly sent the mails as he wanted to skip school

Four private schools in Noida received bomb threat emails on Wednesday morning, senior police officers said, adding that after a thorough search of schools’ premises, these mails were declared hoaxes.

The emails have been sent to the cybercrime branch for investigation, and no case has been registered yet, police said. (Sunil Ghosh/HT)

By late Wednesday night, police apprehended a 14-year-old boy, a class 9 student of one of the four schools, and said it was he who allegedly sent the mails as he wanted to skip school.

“On Wednesday, around 6.45am, we were alerted that that four private schools—Step by Step, The Heritage, Gyanshree, and Mayoor School—had received bomb threat emails,” said Ram Badan Singh, Noida deputy commissioner of police.

“A team comprising police, firefighters, bomb detection teams, and dog squads, were dispatched. They checked the premises of all four schools and found the emails to be hoaxes.”

By late Wednesday, police detained a 14-year-old boy in connection with the mails. “We have detained a Class 9 student, who studies in one of the schools. On questioning, he told us he did not want to go to school, so he mailed all four schools with the intention to shut them,” said DCP Singh.

“Cyber police traced the child using electronic surveillance. We have registered a case under sections of the IT Act, and further probe is underway,” Singh said

Prashant Shrivastava, the manager of Mayoor School in Sector 126, said, “Around 7 am, when the school staff arrived and checked the official email ID, we found a bomb threat.”

“The mail said an explosive device was hidden in the school. We immediately alerted the police and evacuated the school. Parents were also informed about the mail,” said Shrivastava, adding that police later confirmed that nothing suspicious was found on premises.

“Even so, we decided to close the school on Wednesday. We are cooperating with the investigation,” said Shrivastava.

“Owing to Delhi assembly elections, the school was closed today, and classes were held online. When we became aware of the threat mail, we informed the police, who searched the school premises. Nothing suspicious was found,” said a security official of Gyanshree school, asking not to be named.

Step-by-Step school also confirmed receiving the email and said they resumed classes after a thorough search of the school.

“The school administration became aware of the threat email when their administration reached school on Wednesday morning,” said DCP Singh.

The emails have been sent to the cybercrime branch for investigation, and no case has been registered yet, police said.

Earlier, on December 20, 2024, a private school in Sector 126, Noida, received a bomb threat email.

On December 17, another private school in Greater Noida received a bomb threat email on its official email ID. However, after investigation, both incidents were declared hoaxes.

On January 8, 2025, seven private schools in Delhi received bomb threats for the seventh consecutive time, which were later declared to be hoaxes by the police. All the cases were transferred to the Delhi Police Special Cell, and two days later on January 10, a 17-year-old boy, student of class 12, was detained for his alleged involvement in sending the bomb threat emails.