Delhi School Bomb Threat Declared A Hoax By Police After Hours Of Search

New Delhi: A school in South Delhi's Sadiq Nagar was evacuated Wednesday morning after an e-mail said there were bombs on the premises, creating panic among students and parents. After hours of meticulous searches, police declared it a hoax call. Earlier in the day, the panicked students and parents of 'The Indian School' gathered outside the school as the bomb squad and other agencies inspected the premises for any explosive substance.

Bomb threat declared a hoax

"This morning, a bomb threat e-mail was received by the school. Immediately all safety protocols were carried out and all children and staff were safely evacuated," Tania Joshi, principal, The Indian School told PTI. She said the police is investigating the matter to identify the perpetrator.

"Prima facie, the threat seems to be a hoax," she added. A senior police officer said a person named Brijesh of The Indian School, BRT Road, informed them about the e-mail. The e-mail was received at 10:49 am, the officer said. Police said the school had received a similar e-mail in November last year.

Bomb threat at The Indian School

Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Chandan Chowdhary said, "The school received the e-mail regarding the bomb threat at 10.49 am on Wednesday. They then informed the Defence Colony police station following which the security personnel reached the spot and immediately evacuated the school.

"We deployed our bomb squads and also informed the Special Cell and the Special Branch. The SWAT team also conducted searches inside the premises," she said. Chowdhary further said that the police force conducted three rounds of search.

Threat received as e-mail

"We are looking for the source of the e-mail. In November last year, the school received a similar mail which was sent via a German server and its link could not be established," she said. The DCP said there was no arrest in connection with the November mail and police are trying to work it out. She also said that the e-mail threat appeared to be a hoax.

Children were evacuated safely

Vigyan, a class 5 student, said he along with his classmates was evacuated from the school building and taken to the ground. "We were asked to go home before lunch. We were not given any information as to why we were evacuated," another student said. A parent waiting outside the school to receive his son said several students told him that they saw bomb squads inside the premises.

A message sent by the school administration to the parents reads, "Dear Parents, this is to request you to please come urgently to school to collect your child/children, as per the directions/information received. All parents are requested not to create panic while collecting their children."