Chaos ensues after 15 pvt schools in Bengaluru receive bomb threat; students evacuated safely

Bengaluru police checking school premises for bomb/ Bengaluru Police CP

Around 15 private schools in Bengaluru experienced a morning of chaos after receiving a threatening email implying the presence of a bomb on their premises. The received communication sparked immediate alarm among both staff and parents, prompting the police to act quickly, stated a report in PTI.

According to the report, when the school authorities were notified, they immediately alerted the police, who responded by dispatching bomb disposal squads and anti-sabotage check teams to the affected schools. As a precautionary measure, students and staff were quickly evacuated from the school grounds in accordance with safety protocols.

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Despite the authorities' thorough inspection, no suspicious objects have been discovered thus far, easing concerns raised by the threatening email, the report stated and added, when parents learned about the situation, they rushed to the schools in a panic to ensure their children's safety and to safely transport them home.

An alert email claiming the presence of explosives on school grounds was confirmed by a senior police officer. However, despite an exhaustive police search, no substantiating evidence has been found, raising the possibility that the message was a hoax.

"The email claimed that explosives had been planted on school premises. We received a call from the command centre and immediately rushed our teams to schools which are located in different parts of the city. All students and staff have been safely evacuated from the school premises and a thorough search operation is being carried out," a senior police officer told PTI.

He further said, "So far, nothing suspicious has been found yet and prima facie looks like it's a hoax message. Parents need not panic, our teams are on the ground."

The PTI report stated that a similar incident happened last year wherein some miscreants had sent emails about bomb threat to schools which was a hoax.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, visited one of the affected schools to learn more about the situation. Following a review of the email with the police, he stated that the threat appeared to be a false alarm, but emphasised the importance of remaining vigilant.

Shivakumar urged parents to remain calm, assuring them that their children were safe. He emphasised cybercrime police's ongoing efforts to find those responsible for the hoax, urging everyone to be cautious and vigilant in such situations.

"I was a bit dismayed after seeing the news on TV, as some schools I know and the one near my house were also mentioned. So I went out to check. The police have shown me the mail. Prima facie, it appears to be fake (hoax). I spoke to the police... But we should be cautious. Parents are a bit worried, no need to worry. Police are looking into it," he told the media and added, "Some mischief mongers might have done this, in 24 hours we will nab them. Cyber crime police are active, they are doing their job... We should also be cautious and should not neglect."

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said that the mail came from an ID kharijites@beeble.com; he added, "We are seriously verifying it and its source. I have spoken to the Commissioner and officials and have given the necessary instructions and verification on whether it's true or a hoax and measures to be taken accordingly. We will verify as to who is behind it and there is involvement of any terrorist organisation, and take measures accordingly. For now, it cannot be said who is behind it. The message in the email asks people to convert and other things, it will be verified."

Recalling the incident from last year, he said, "This also may be a hoax, but we won't take it lightly. Even if there is one per cent (doubt), we will take it seriously and take measures like sensitising the intelligence and informing central agencies, which the department has to do. Stating that he is in regular touch with officials and, if necessary, will hold a meeting with senior officials, Parameshwara appealed to parents and the public not to worry. First, we will focus on checking and clearing in 15 schools, and will look into other schools later with jurisdiction police station officials visiting them."