An e-mail bomb threat to at least 48 schools in Bengaluru triggered panic and chaos among parents and staff as police rushed to locations with bomb detection squads and anti-sabotage check teams. However, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said that the threat was a "hoax", and added that the cyber crime department will soon nab the culprits behind the act. Police were alerted soon after the schools received the message and students and staff were asked to leave the premises as soon as possible. 


Here Are What All Happened So Far 



  • At least 48 private schools in Bengaluru received an email with a bomb threat on their premises on Friday morning. The number was 15 initially but later rose to 48. The school authorities alerted the police, which reached the schools' premises with the bomb disposal squads, dog squads and anti-sabotage check teams.


 



  • A senior cop said, "So far, 48 schools in Bengaluru have received an email about bomb threat. The message about a bomb threat was received from an email id. Search operations are almost over and so far, our teams have not found any suspicious objects on any of the school premises. Prime facie, it appears to be a hoax message. We are also in the process of registering a case in this regard and a thorough investigation is underway."


 



  • Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said, "At present, we have received information about 15 schools where threatening e-mails have been received, last year also such threats were received. We cannot take any risk, we are inspecting the schools and are taking all precautionary measures in schools. We will take strict action against those who are making threatening calls. We are looking into all aspects..."


 



  • Parameshwara said the message had come from email id kharijites@beeble.com. "The email says bombs have been placed in about 15 schools in Bengaluru and threatened to kill children and staff. 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 hoax and measures to be taken accordingly," the home minister said. He added that authorities will verify as to who is behind it and if there is any involvement of a terrorist organisation. 


 



  • PTI quoted a senior police officer as saying, "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."


 



  • Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, "Police will investigate, and I have directed them to do so. Security measures have been taken, and parents need not panic. I have instructed the police to inspect the schools and enhance security. A preliminary report has been received from the police department."


 



  • On the bomb threat, Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, "I was watching TV, the school opposite to my house also got a threat mail. I came here to check. Till now it seems like a threat call. But we have to be very cautious about it."


 



  • Bengaluru Police Commissioner took to X, formerly Twitter, and said, "Certain schools in Bengaluru city have received emails today morning indicating 'bomb threat'. Anti sabotage and bomb detection squads have been pressed into service to verify and ascertain. The calls seem to be hoax. Even then all efforts will be made to trace the culprits."


 



  • However, police said they found nothing suspicious and said that parents need not panic as police teams are on the ground.


 



  • Later, Dy CM Shivakumar said, "...The parents of children do not need to worry... Within a few hours, our cyber crime department will trap them... It is a hoax call... Parents should not panic...We are there to protect your children..." He said the threat was found to be a "hoax". "It was a hoax call. Within few hours, the cyber crime department will grab them," he said.


 



  • Shivakumar also visited one of the schools which received the bomb threat. He took information from the school and the police about the situation.


 



  • Police organised a press brief and said the city is now on alert and such calls were made earlier as well and were found to be fake. "Several schools have received threatening mail. The city is now on alert as per law enforcement. Even before, such calls were received by us but when we inspected, they all turned out to be fake calls. We have sent bomb squads everywhere. The probe will be conducted," said Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand, quoted ANI.


 


Email Threat Has Jihadi Content: Report


A preliminary inquiry into the matter has revealed that the bomb threat emails have some jihadi content, reported news agency IANS citing. According to the agency, sources said the letter mentioned "convert to Islam or die under the weight of sword of Islam. Bismillah, we will spread the true religion of Allah to the whole of India."


"You have choice to become our slaves or accept the true religion of Allah. Temples, your idols, from Buddha to infinity, they will fly apart from our explosions," the threat email read, as quoted by the IANS.


The note further stated there were explosive devices on the school premises. As per the IANS report, sources revealed the threat referred to Mumbai terror attacks, and said, "On November 26, martyrs in the way of Allah killed hundreds of idolaters. It is truly powerful to hold a knife over tens of millions of kafirs".


Meanwhile, IANS reported, that the authorities said they have taken a serious note of the communal writing in the letters, adding it could be the handiwork of a prankster as well.