Gurgaon Schools Face Bomb Threat Scare, Police Confirm Hoax After Evacuations
In a tense morning for Gurgaon's educational institutions, a dozen schools across the city were swiftly evacuated on Wednesday following alarming emails that warned of bombs planted on campuses and threatened explosions at 1:20 PM. The threatening messages, which landed in school inboxes around 6:30 AM, triggered immediate security protocols and large-scale police mobilization.
Police Response and Security Measures
Upon receiving the alerts, Gurgaon police promptly deployed specialized units including dog squads and bomb disposal teams to the affected schools. Police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar stated, "No suspicious object or explosive material was found during checks so far. Multiple teams are investigating the matter in detail." He emphasized that the law and order situation remained under control and urged residents to avoid panic, ignore rumors, and report any suspicious activity to authorities.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Vikas Kaushik revealed that police received information about the threat emails targeting multiple schools around 7 AM. "We swiftly followed our protocols and sanitised the campuses. Parents need not panic. Prima facie, these were hoax calls," he assured, adding that cyber teams were already investigating the emails' origins.
Affected Schools and Evacuation Procedures
The schools that received the threatening emails included several prominent institutions:
- DPS at Sector 45
- Manav Rachna schools in Sector 46 and Sector 51
- Heritage Xperiential Learning School at Sector 62
- Kunskapasskolan school at DLF-1
- Sherwood Convent School
Police teams conducted thorough searches of classrooms, buildings, and surrounding areas at all campuses. School administrators demonstrated commendable crisis management, immediately activating emergency protocols upon receiving the threats.
School Administrators' Statements
Stuti Jaiswal, an official at Heritage Xperiential Learning School, confirmed their institution received a bomb threat email. "In line with safety protocols, the school administration immediately informed local authorities and activated all emergency response procedures. As a precautionary measure, school operations for the day were suspended," she explained. Jaiswal added that security agencies conducted comprehensive inspections before issuing official clearance, confirming the alert was a hoax.
Sangeeta Kapoor, principal of Manav Rachna International School, described their response: "Upon receiving the bomb threat via email, the school activated the standard safety protocols without any delay. Police and cyber security officials were informed immediately. The entire school premises were thoroughly checked. All students present on campus were evacuated, without creating any panic." She noted that parents received prompt updates through school ERP systems and official WhatsApp groups.
Cyber Investigation and Legal Action
Cyber experts were brought in to probe the threatening emails, trace their origin, and identify the sender. Police revealed the emails came from an account named "Amber Durham" and were likely sent from abroad with the intention of creating panic. The cyber police have registered a case under BNS Section 113(2)(b), which addresses committing terrorist acts that don't result in death.
Parallel Incident in Chandigarh
In a related development, approximately 30 schools in Chandigarh also received bomb threats via email on the same day, leading to mass closures across that city. The Chandigarh emails reportedly mentioned Khalistan and contained threats against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The situation caused traffic disruptions as police and bomb squads navigated between schools, and several institutions cancelled pre-board examinations before the threats were confirmed as hoaxes.
The coordinated nature of these threats across multiple cities has raised concerns about cyber security vulnerabilities in educational institutions and the potential for disruption through digital means. Authorities continue to investigate whether the Gurgaon and Chandigarh incidents are connected.
