Delhi hoax emails: Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reviews situation, emphasises need for enhanced security
May 06, 2024
New Delhi [India], May 7 : Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reviewed the situation on Monday in the wake of hoax emails received by some schools in the national capital last week and emphasised the need to enhance security, CCTV cameras and regular monitoring of emails in the schools.
In a post on X, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs posted, "The Home Secretary reviewed the situation in the wake of hoax emails received by some schools in Delhi last week. He stressed the need to prepare detailed protocols and SOPs to handle any such situation in the future."
"The Home Secretary asked Delhi Police and schools to have close coordination for an effective response mechanism so that misinformation does not create any unnecessary panic," it said.
"The home secretary also emphasised the need to enhance security, CCTV cameras and regular monitoring of emails in the schools. The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary and the Delhi Police Commissioner," read the post further.
Earlier on May 4, security forces intensified their preparedness through a series of mock drills across various key locations in the city, including schools, airports, metro stations, and government buildings, after the recent hoax bomb threats that targeted over 250 schools in the Delhi-NCR region.
A mock drill was conducted at Delhi Public School in Delhi's RK Puram area, involving the Delhi Police and the National Security Guard (NSG),
The drill was designed to test the readiness and response capabilities of security forces in case of emergencies.
Several such drills were carried out at the Parliament building, near Delhi's Jhandewalan Temple, at the Hyderabad House, and at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, among other areas.
Earlier on May 2, taking note of false news circulating in WhatsApp groups that bombs were detected in schools, Delhi Police urged people not to believe in rumours and stop spreading fake news.
Detailing the Delhi school bomb threat case, Delhi Police PRO Suman Nalwa said that more than 250 calls were received by the police last week on Wednesday.
However, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an official statement saying that the email appeared to be a 'hoax'.
"There is no need to panic. The mail appears to be a hoax. Delhi Police and security agencies are taking necessary steps as per protocol," the official release from the MHA read.
