40 Delhi schools receive bomb threat mail sender demands USD 30K 'nothing suspicious found

PTI, December 09, 2024, New Delhi : Around 40 schools in Delhi received a bomb threat mail Monday morning with the sender demanding USD 30,000, prompting a multi-agency search of the premises but "nothing suspicious was found", a police official said.

    

The threat was sent in a single e-mail marked to the some of the city's prominent schools including DPS RK Puram; GD Goenka, Paschim Vihar; The British School, Chanakyapuri; The Mother's International, Aurobindo Marg; Modern School, Mandi House; DPS Vasant Kunj; Delhi Police Public School, Safdarjung; DPS East of Kailash and Salwan Public Schools.

    

Most schools that received the threat suspended classes and sent students back home.

    

Officials said the premises of the schools that received the threat were thoroughly checked and nothing suspicious was found.

    

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Surendra Choudhary said the e-mail was received by four school located within his district as well. "Soon after getting the information, we conducted a thorough check of the school premises. Nothing suspicious was found. I request parents to not panic."

    

A Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said they received the first alerts about the bomb threats from G D Goenka, Paschim Vihar, (6.15 am), and DPS RK Puram (7.06 am).

    

He said bomb detection teams, fire officials, local police and dog squads responded immediately and conducted searches at the schools.

    

Sources said the email was delivered on the schools' id at 11.38 pm on Sunday -- when the schools were closed -- from scottielanza@gmail.com.

    

The email read, "I planted multiple bombs inside the building. The bombs are small and hidden very well. It will not cause very much damage to the building, but many people will be injured when the bombs detonate."

    

It also read, "You all deserve to suffer and lose limbs. If I do not receive $30,000. The group =E2=80=9CKNR=E2=80=9D is behind this attack (sic)."

    

In a message to parents, Mother Mary's School, Mayur Vihar, said, "An email was received this morning regarding a bomb threat in school. As such, the students are being dispersed immediately as a precautionary measure. You are requested to kindly collect your wards from your respective bus stops.

    

While taking his daughter back from the school, Harish, one of the parents, told PTI Videos, "I received a message about an emergency from the school. This is the failure of the government as the schools are getting such threats regularly."

    

The Delhi Police Special and Crime Branch have started the probe.

    

In May, more than 200 schools, hospitals and other important government installations in the city received a similar kind of bomb threat but the case is yet to solved as the mail was sent using Virtual Private Network (VPN).