'No need to panic, email a hoax': MHA allays fears after bomb threat to Delhi schools

New Delhi [India], May 1 : After over 60 schools across Delhi-NCR received a bomb threat via email on Wednesday morning, setting off panic among parents and faculty and prompting frenetic searches, 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. Mails appear to be a hoax. Delhi Police and security agencies are taking necessary steps as per protocol," the official release from the MHA read.
The bomb threat triggered heightened vigilance across the educational institutions, with police vehicles, ambulances and fire engines spotted outside the campuses.
A wave of panic swept through Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) as several schools reported to have received bomb threats via email. The ominous messages, received in the early hours of Tuesday, prompted swift action from authorities who urged parents to retrieve their children from the affected schools. Concurrently, central agencies initiated a thorough investigation into the threats, heightening security measures across the region.
Adding to the concern, reports emerged of airports receiving similar threats in recent days, alongside warnings directed at several hospitals on Monday. The series of developments put the national capital on edge, with the authorities intensifying efforts to ensure the safety and security of all residents.
Earlier, the director of Delhi Fire Services, Atul Garg, confirmed that more than 60 schools had received the threat call.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police's Special Cell launched an investigation into the bomb threat to several schools, the police informed, adding that nothing suspicious has been found in the ongoing searches across campuses.
DCP New Delhi, Devesh Kumar Mahla said, "We've carried out searches in all the schools and nothing has been found. There is no need to panic."
Delhi LG VK Saxena, who arrived to inspect one of the schools that received the bomb threat, said he has directed the Delhi Police commissioner to conduct a detailed probe in the matter.
"I spoke to the Police Commissioner and sought a detailed report into the bomb threats at schools in Delhi-NCR. I directed Delhi Police to carry out a thorough search of the school premises, identify the culprits and ensure there are no lapses. I request the parents not to panic and cooperate with the administration in ensuring the safety of schools and the children. The culprits will not be spared," LG Saxena said.