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‘Explosives are skilfully hidden in black plastic bags’: 42 schools, 3 colleges in Delhi receive bomb threat via email

According to Delhi Police sources, the sender used atomicmail.io, a web-based email service based in Estonia, Europe, to send the threatening emails to the schools.

Delhi's Abhinav Public School received the threat mail at 8 am today. (Special arrangement)

More than 40 schools and three colleges in Delhi received a bomb threat by email on Friday morning – the fourth time in the last five days – which said that “several explosive devices have been hidden in classrooms”, prompting authorities to conduct searches on their premises. The threats later turned out to be a hoax.

According to sources in the police, the email was received by 42 schools at 10.53 pm on Thursday. The school administrations informed the police and other authorities after discovering the email – allegedly sent from a web-based email service based in Estonia – in their inboxes on Friday.

Among these schools were Richmondd 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, DCP (North Delhi), said IP College for Women, Hindu College, and Shri Ram College of Commerce also received the threat email.

It stated, “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.”

The police, along with bomb detection and disposal squads and Delhi Fire Services personnel, conducted searches but failed to find anything suspicious on the premises.

The day also saw at least 40 private schools in Bengaluru receiving bomb threats via email, with the same claim that explosive devices had been planted in classrooms.

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Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi slammed the BJP over the matter. “More than 20 schools have received bomb threats today! Think of the trauma that children, parents and teachers would be going through… BJP controls all 4-engines of governance in Delhi, and is yet not able to provide any safety or security to our children! Shocking!” she said in a post on X.

Seven schools, including St Thomas School in Dwarka, Vasant Valley in Vasant Kunj, Richmondd Global School in Paschim Vihar, Mother’s International in Hauz Khas and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate, had received bomb threat emails on Wednesday, which were later declared a hoax.

On Wednesday only, the police had briefly apprehended a 12-year-old boy for allegedly sending fake bomb threats to St Stephen’s College and St Thomas School on Tuesday.

Since last May, several Delhi schools have been receiving bomb threats. More than 200 schools 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.

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