With over 200 schools targeted in 2024 alone, Delhi is witnessing an unprecedented surge of hoax bomb threats. The alarming frequency of these incidents has spread anxiety and fear across the national capital, impacting students, parents, and authorities alike.
According to data exclusively accessed from the Delhi Police, 206 hoax bomb threats have been reported in schools so far. Similar threats have also been directed at malls and hospitals, including prominent locations such as Chanakya Mall, Select CityWalk, Ambience Mall, DLF, Cinepolis, Pacific Mall, Primus Hospital, and Unity Group.
Adding to the list, senior police officials confirmed that a couple of museums have also been targeted in recent weeks.
District-wise data
The district-wise breakdown reveals that South West Delhi recorded 26 affected schools, South district saw 30, Outer district reported 22, and East district logged 31 instances. North West district recorded 28 cases, while the remaining 69 threats were spread across other districts.
Chain of events
The latest series of threats occurred on December 17, marking the fifth instance since December 9. Multiple schools, including The Indian School in South Delhi, Ambience Public School in Safdarjung Enclave, Dilshad Public School in Dilshad Garden, and Crescent School in North West Delhi, received bomb threats via email.
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Delhi Fire Service officials confirmed that calls were received at 10:08 AM for The Indian School and at 1:00 PM for Dilshad Public School. Similarly, threats were reported earlier in the morning for Crescent Public School and Ambience Public School. Despite the panic, thorough inspections by police, fire services, and bomb disposal squads confirmed no suspicious items were found.
In a circular to parents, Ambience Public School reassured: “The entire school premises has been thoroughly scanned by the bomb squad. Everything is clear and safe. We shall be functioning normally from tomorrow.”
The Indian School also issued a statement: “This morning, a bomb threat mail was received in the school’s email box. Immediately, all safety protocols were carried out to satisfaction, and all children and staff were safely evacuated… The premises has been combed, and nothing has been found.”
This incident forms part of a troubling pattern. On December 9, around 40 schools were targeted in a single day. Subsequent threats affected 30 schools on December 12, 20 schools on December 16, and several others across Delhi, Gurgaon, and Noida. The list of affected institutions includes premier schools like Delhi Public School (RK Puram and Vasant Kunj), Amity International School, Gyan Bharti School in Saket, and Ryan International School.
The chilling warnings
One particularly ominous email sent on December 13 read: “I am sure that you all do not check your students’ bags frequently when they enter the school premises. The bombs are powerful enough to destroy the buildings and harm people. December 13 and 14, both days can be the day your school will face a bomb blast… It is a good chance for the bombs to detonate.”
The email also asked the authorities to reply to learn the sender’s “demands.”
The dark web challenge
Senior police officials investigating the hoaxes admit the growing complexity of tracing the culprits due to dark web involvement. A senior officer explained: “Tracking individuals using the dark web is exceptionally challenging. The constant bouncing of IP addresses and technological limitations slow down investigations significantly.”
Earlier, one email was traced to a Russian IP address, but the increasing sophistication of techniques has made the task murkier. The Special Cell, which has been handling 10 of these cases, is struggling to make headway.
In a recent incident, a bomb threat email sent to a Paschim Vihar school was traced to a private school student. During questioning, the student admitted to sending the email and was let off with counselling. Officials clarified that this case was isolated and unrelated to the broader pattern of threats seen since December 9.
Growing demands and chilling messages
Further investigations have uncovered emails demanding $30,000 to “defuse bombs” allegedly planted in school buildings. One message chillingly warned: “It will not cause very much damage to the building, but many people will be injured when the bombs detonate. You all deserve to suffer and lose limbs.”
The impact on children
Child psychologist Aruna Agarwal, based in Mumbai, explained the psychological toll these threats can take on children: “Children respond differently depending on their personality traits. For some, such incidents can be traumatic, leading to disrupted sleep or heightened anxiety. For others, it may appear thrilling due to exposure to similar content in today’s media landscape. If the trauma persists, it can severely impact their daily routines.”
According to clinical psychologist Ayushi Gaur, the effect of schools turning into a place of threat is “extremely grievous” as it may lead to them developing insecurities in strange environments. “The school being the second safest place after home, when found under threat leads to profound stress reactions among children. Their self-esteem is found to be significantly low when they are in an insecure environment,” she said.
She added that a “negative psychological impact” may be seen among children facing such situations. “A negative psychological impact can be seen if such panic situations or conditions continue in the environment which needs further management. Boys often exhibit an externalising response to such threats in the form of behavioural problems like aggression, breaking the rules, vandalism, etc. Whereas females are often found to have a more internalised response to such threats like anxiety, social withdrawal, somatic complaints, affective disturbances, and other behaviours,” Gaur highlighted.
She added that the cognitive functioning of children also gets impaired due to continuous exposure to stress. “Children might have difficulties in attention, concentration, and memory-related functions,” she said.
Authorities on high alert
While investigations are ongoing, schools remain on high alert, implementing enhanced safety protocols to reassure parents and students. Police continue to work around the clock to trace the origins of these hoaxes and identify those responsible.
As the city grapples with this wave of threats, the need for technological advancements and international collaboration to combat cybercrime has become increasingly evident.
