News Desk :
More than 40 schools and three colleges in Delhi received a bomb threat by email Friday morning, the fourth time in the last five days, which said “several explosive devices have been hidden in classrooms”, prompting authorities to conduct searches on their premises.
According to sources in the Delhi Police, the email, sent from [email protected], was received by 42 schools in Delhi at 10.53 pm on Thursday. They said school administrations informed the police and other authorities Friday after discovering the email in their inboxes.
They said atomicmail.io is a web-based email service based in Estonia, Europe.
According to another source, the sender said in the email, “Hello. I am writing to let you know that I have placed several explosive devices (Trinitrotoluene) within school classrooms. The explosives are skilfully hidden in black plastic bags”.
“I will erase every last one of you from this world, not a single soul will survive i will gladly laugh when i will watch the news… You all deserve to suffer,” it added.
Among these schools were Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, Abhinav Public School and Sovereign School in Rohini, Bharati Public School in Preet Vihar, and St Xavier’s Senior Secondary School in Civil Lines.
Raja Banthia, Deputy Commissioner of Police, North Delhi, said they have received information that PP College for Women, ?Hindu College, and Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) have also received bomb threats through emails. “Standard drill is being followed. Campuses are being searched,” Banthia added.
The police, along with the bomb detection and disposal squads and DFS personnel, conducted a search operation but have so far failed to find anything suspicious on the premises. The schools were also vacated during the check.
Meanwhile, at least 40 private schools in Bengaluru also received bomb threats via email on Friday morning, with the same claim that explosive devices had been planted in classrooms.
On Wednesday, seven schools, including St Thomas School in Dwarka, Vasant Valley in Vasant Kunj, Richmond Global School in Paschim, Mother’s International in Hauz Khas and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate, received bomb threat emails, which were later declared a hoax.
In one case, the police apprehended a 12-year-old schoolboy who allegedly sent emails to a school and a college affiliated with the University of Delhi on Tuesday.
The other incidents of email threats remain unsolved, as the police claim that they were sent through a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which is an encrypted connection over the internet.
Another police officer said that legal action was being pursued, and the cyber units of the respective district police were conducting an inquiry into the bomb threats in their areas.
Since May last year, several Delhi schools have been receiving bomb threats. More than 200 schools in the national capital received bomb threats on their official email IDs in May 2024. Similar threat emails were also sent to several hospitals, colleges, and the Delhi Airport.
In May this year, the Udyog Bhawan office at the Central Secretariat received a bomb threat via email, triggering extensive checking that ultimately resulted in the building being declared safe.
In June, a Delhi-bound Air India flight from Mumbai received a bomb threat after an airline crew member discovered a paper that said, “Bomb in flight Air India 2948, Air India 171” written on it. However, checks by DFS and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) revealed the threat to be a hoax.
