We will take revenge: 10 Ahmedabad schools receive bomb threat emails
Multiple Ahmedabad schools received bomb threat emails, which turned out to be a hoax, prompting swift police action and school evacuations. Authorities are investigating the origin of these widespread threats, leading to heightened security. This incident follows similar hoaxes in Delhi and Punjab, highlighting a concerning trend of email-based bomb threats targeting educational institutions across India.
New Delhi: As many as 10 private schools in Ahmedabad were sent emails threatening bomb blasts on Wednesday. The bomb threat emails turned out to be a hoax. Police said that nothing suspicious was found during the searches.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 1, Harshad Patel said that as a precautionary measure, these schools declared a holiday for the afternoon shift as the morning shift was already over when they received the emails, having a common text. The threat mail read, "We will take revenge", a police statement said.
The exact contents of the emails were not disclosed as the matter is under investigation, officials said.
"In the email sent to the schools, it was claimed that bomb blasts will be carried out in these establishments during the afternoon," Patel told PTI.
Origin of email being probed
The mails sparked panic and led authorities to tighten security arrangements in and around the schools. On being alerted, police, along with the bomb detection and disposal squad, dog squad and anti-sabotage teams, reached the schools and conducted a thorough search.
Harshad Patel told ANI, "Nearly 10 schools in Ahmedabad received bomb threat mails, under which, the senior officers of city police, local police station incharge and other teams are investigating various schools. Other schools are also investigating their premises through security. The origin of the mail is being investigated by the cybercrime unit of Ahmedabad police.”
A Hindustan Times report said that it has leant that the schools which received the emails include Zydus School in Vejalpur, Zebra School, Maharaja Agrasen School, Nirman School in Vastrapur and DAV International School.
The school authorities alerted the police about the emails. The Ahmedabad Police swung into action and deployed security personnel and dog squads to inspect the school premises, while parents were immediately informed and asked to take their children home.
A notice sent to the parents reportedly read: "This is to inform you that due to some inconvenience, we have to vacate the Vidhyalaya premises. We request you to collect your child as soon as possible."
The threat to Ahmedabad schools comes amid similar emails sent to schools across the country, including in Delhi and Punjab. Around 11 private schools in Jalandhar received bomb threat emails on December 15. On December 12, a number of schools in Amritsar also received email bomb threats. On December 10, several schools in Delhi were also targets of such threats. Recently, a school in Gurugram also got a bomb threat via email.