Over 45 schools across Delhi today, Friday, July 18, received bomb threats via email – reportedly the fourth this week. This has triggered anxiety and frustration in parents, prompting them to keep their children home, despite confirmation from authorities that the messages were hoaxes and thorough checks have been made, reported Hindustan Times. 

Although most institutions remain open and are operating with caution, the recurrence of threats has only added to parents’ growing concern about their children’s safety. 

“I did not send my son today. It is not that we are panicking, but after repeated incidents, it feels safer to wait things out,” Parmita Sharma, a parent whose child studies at Richmond School in Paschim Vihar, told news agency PTI.

Vikram Singh, another parent, whose daughter attends Sovereign School in Rohini, said, “Even if nothing serious is found, these hoax emails disturb the mental peace of children and parents. We discussed it in our parent group, and many of us decided to skip school for a day.” The school was one of the institutions to receive the threat via email.

The emergency drills ensured a calm response and helped avert panic. 

“We informed the authorities immediately upon receiving the email. The building was cleared after a full check, and we are conducting classes normally. We had already done emergency drills earlier this year, which helped us respond calmly,” said RK Jindal, school chairperson of Sovereign Public School.  

While schools like Sovereign resumed normal operations after receiving security clearance, others, such as Maxfort Junior School in Pitampura and Cambridge Foundation School in Rajouri Garden, opted for partial evacuations and took additional precautions for students on campus.

Delhi Police, supported by bomb squads and fire services, carried out thorough inspections at all affected institutions. The threats were directed at schools across various parts of the city, including Dwarka, Rohini, Vasant Vihar, Janakpuri, and East of Kailash.

“All threats have been declared hoaxes after inspections,” confirmed a senior police official, adding that investigations are afoot to find the source of the threat emails.