Hours after a bomb threat message was received by a staff member at the Ram Lal Anand College of the Delhi University (DU) today, March 7, it all turned out to be a hoax, police said. In this regard, a police officer said, "It is suspected that some mischievous element made the call from an international number." Also, the officer said that the police might register an FIR in the matter.

Giving more details, the officer said a search was conducted across the campus for at least three hours, after which, the police declared the call as hoax. 

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Rohit Meena said the staff member received a call on WhatsApp at 9.34 am. Subsequently, the police along with an ambulance, a Bomb Detection Team and a Bomb Disposal Squad, rushed to the college and evacuated the students and staff, he said.

Principal of the college, Rakesh Kumar Gupta, said regular office work was resumed after the police concluded their search and declared the campus safe. "One of our staff members received the bomb threat through a WhatsApp call on the number used for sending broadcast messages to students. We immediately informed the police and the students and the staff were safely evacuated. The situation is under control now," Gupta told PTI.

"We have resumed our office work but classes have been suspended and students were asked to leave the campus," he said. Additionally, he clarified that no examination or any other scheduled activity was disrupted due to the hoax call. 

"This was the first time we received a bomb threat. This has never happened in the history of the college, as far as I remember," the principal said. 

In the first week of February, Delhi Public School (DPS) RK Puram received a similar threat mail, where the sender had used the 'Tor' browser to send the email. It is reported that the police are investigating that case, PTI reported.