India on alert after schools and central bank receive bomb threats

Major educational facilities were evacuated in the capital after warnings were made via email for the second time in a week

Security agencies in Delhi have been placed on heightened alert following multiple bomb threats received by several prominent schools via email on Friday, according to Indian media. The wave of threats is the second within a week, and has resulted in the evacuation of students and staff. 

Among the schools targeted were the Delhi Public School East of Kailash, Salwan School, Modern School, and Cambridge School. In response to the threats, police, fire department officials, bomb detection squads, and dog units were deployed for thorough searches. Police have launched a comprehensive investigation.  

The email sent to the schools claimed that “several explosives” had been planted on their premises. The message, reportedly sent by a group operating on the dark web, threatened significant destruction and harm, according to NDTV, which said it had seen a copy of the email. “I am sure that you all do not check your students’ bags frequently when they enter the school premises. The bombs are powerful enough to destroy the buildings and harm people,” the email warned.  

The message suggested that potential attacks could be carried out on December 13 or 14, highlighting the upcoming parent-teacher meetings scheduled for December 14 in some of the schools mentioned. The email suggested that the authorities respond to the email to learn more about the sender’s “demands.” 

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In a separate incident, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also received a bomb threat on Thursday afternoon. The RBI is located in Mumbai, India’s financial hub. According to local media reports, the email was in Russian and contained a threat to blow up the bank. An investigation has been initiated by Mumbai Police, with a case registered against unknown individuals at Mata Ramabai Marg police station.  

Schools in Delhi and the central bank had already received similar threats. On December 9, over 40 schools in the national capital received a bomb threat via email, with police later declaring it a hoax. The RBI was warned of a potential bomb threat on November 16 when a message was delivered through the banks’ customer care number. A caller claimed to be the “CEO of Lashkar-e-Taiba” – a terror group that carried out deadly attacks in Mumbai in 2008 which left 166 people dead.  

The recent developments follow a troubling trend earlier this year, when over 100 schools in New Delhi and the surrounding areas were evacuated after similar threats, traced back to an email address associated with a Russian domain. Major airlines also received bomb threats, causing massive disruption to their operations. The Indian Home Ministry labeled the threats as hoaxes and advised the public to remain calm, emphasizing that police and security agencies were adhering to established protocols to manage the situation.