The bomb threat email sent to a school in Delhi’s Greater Kailash area was a hoax by a 14-year-old student trying to avoid school, police reported on Saturday. Summer Fields School in Kailash Colony, Greater Kailash-1, received a threatening email on Friday, leading to an immediate evacuation of the premises.
“We received an email late at night which was checked early morning today (Friday). As per the SOP, we evacuated the students within 10 minutes of receiving the email,” stated Shalini Agarwal, Principal of Summer Fields School.
Delhi Police identified and questioned the 14-year-old student. “The student didn’t want to go to the school and had, therefore, sent the bomb threat mail,” the police said. They also noted that the student mentioned two other schools in the email to make it appear more credible. The investigation is ongoing.
Previously, on May 2, 131 schools in Delhi received threat emails. The Delhi Police indicated that the emails contained the word ‘Swaraiim,’ an Arabic term used by the Islamic State since 2014 to disseminate Islamist propaganda. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) later clarified that the email seemed to be a ‘hoax.’
“There is no need to panic. The mail appears to be a hoax. Delhi Police and security agencies are taking necessary steps as per protocol,” read the official statement from the MHA.