3 Delhi schools receive bomb threat e-mails; all declared hoax

New Delhi, Feb 19 (PTI) At least three schools in Delhi received bomb threat emails on Thursday morning, triggering swift evacuation and search operations by emergency agencies. The threats were later declared a hoax, officials said.

The schools that received the emails were CRPF Public School and St Thomas' School in Dwarka, and DAV Centenary Public School in Paschim Enclave.

"We received information about bomb threat emails sent to three schools. Fire tenders and rescue teams were immediately rushed to the locations as a precautionary measure. Nothing suspicious was found during the search," an officer of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said.

Police teams, bomb disposal squads, dog squads and local administration officials were deployed at the schools soon after the alerts were received, officials said.

As a precaution, school authorities evacuated students and staff from the premises while search operations were carried out. No suspicious object was found during the searches, they said.

Police said cyber teams have been alerted, and efforts are underway to trace the origin of the emails.

"The emails are being examined to determine their source and authenticity. We are also verifying whether similar threats were sent to other institutions," a police officer said.

On February 13, at least seven schools in Delhi received bomb threat emails, which were later declared a hoax.

The threatening emails contained disturbing and provocative content, claiming, "Delhi will become Khalistan" and that blasts would take place and even inside Parliament, prompting heightened security alerts and coordination among multiple agencies.

Many parents said they had just reached their workplaces when alerts from school authorities began flashing on their phones, asking them to immediately pick up their wards.

"I had just dropped my daughter at the school gate and returned home when I got the message about a bomb threat," said a parent of a Class V student of one of the schools. "Within minutes, I rushed back." Another parent described the anxiety caused by the alert. "We leave our children at school, trusting they are safe. The moment the alert came asking us to take them back, it became very scary. Even if it turns out to be a hoax, the fear is very real," he said.

Outside one of the schools, anxious parents were seen making frantic phone calls as police personnel conducted checks inside the premises.

According to the police, the emails were routed through a complex web of virtual private networks (VPNs) and proxy servers, making it difficult to trace their original source.

A senior police officer said that the senders often mask their digital footprints by using multiple layers of VPN connections, frequently switching servers across different countries to evade detection.

"The emails are typically sent through encrypted services and bounced across several international servers. By the time we start tracing, the digital trail has already been layered multiple times," the officer said.

He said such tactics significantly delay the identification process as investigators have to seek technical assistance from service providers, and in some cases, coordinate with international agencies to obtain user details linked to the IP addresses.

Cyber experts assisting the probe are analysing metadata, server logs and timing patterns to narrow down possible leads, he said.

"Cyber experts of the Delhi Police are also investigating the entire matter properly, and such email senders will be sent behind bars soon," the officer added. PTI SSJ BM RHL RHL