Bomb Threat Emails Trigger Panic and Evacuations at 18 Schools in Mohali Region
On Wednesday morning, a wave of alarm swept through the Mohali district as bomb threat emails were received by approximately 16 private schools in Mohali city, along with one school each in Zirakpur and Kharar. This incident prompted a massive and swift police response, leading to the evacuation of students and staff, as well as extensive multi-agency search operations across the affected campuses.
Police Confirm No Explosive Material Found After Intensive Searches
According to Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harmandeep Singh Hans, the threatening emails arrived at school authorities between 7:30 am and 8:00 am, coinciding with the arrival of students for classes. Upon receiving the alarming messages, which warned that school premises would be blown up, administrators immediately alerted the police.
Acting with urgency, police teams, including SPs, DSPs, and SHOs, rushed to the schools. Anti-Sabotage Teams and Bomb Disposal Squads were deployed, with additional specialized units called in from neighbouring districts and Chandigarh headquarters to assist in simultaneous searches. As a precautionary measure, all targeted schools were evacuated and closed before the search operations commenced. School managements also sent urgent messages to parents, advising them to pick up their children due to security concerns.
Coordinated Response Ensures Student Safety Amid Heightened Vigilance
SSP Hans reported that coordinated search operations at all identified locations were completed within approximately two-and-a-half hours. "No explosive material was found at any of the locations," he stated, emphasizing that Mohali police remains fully alert to such incidents and is treating the matter with utmost seriousness. The extensive operation was supervised by senior officers, including SP (City) Dilpreet Singh and others, who were present on-site to monitor security arrangements and search procedures.
Schools covered during the searches included well-known institutions such as Amity School, Doon School, Learning Paths School, Gurukul School, Vivek High School, Paragon School, YPS, St Mary’s School, Manav Rachna School, Lawrence School, Gem Public School, Ram Tirath School, Shiwalik Public School, and Sant Ishar Singh School. Police sources indicated that once multiple schools reported similar emails, an immediate district-wide alert was issued, triggering a coordinated response to ensure student safety and rule out any genuine threat.
Cyber Police Investigate Origin of Threatening Emails
Following the incident, legal action was initiated. SSP Hans confirmed that an FIR is being registered, and the case has been transferred to the Cyber Police Station in Phase 7, Mohali. The cyber police will trace the origin of the threatening email ID and conduct a detailed technical investigation, analyzing digital evidence like IP logs and server trails to identify those responsible.
This incident occurs weeks after similar bomb threat emails were sent to schools in neighbouring Chandigarh, raising concerns among authorities about a possible pattern of hoax threats targeting educational institutions in the region. Police are examining whether the Mohali emails are linked to previous cases or part of a coordinated effort to spread panic.
Despite the seriousness of the threats, police reiterated that the swift evacuation and systematic searches ensured no danger to students or staff. Security vigilance around schools has been heightened, and monitoring continues as precautionary measures while the cyber investigation progresses.
