20 Delhi colleges receive bomb threats, search Ops underway

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) A fresh wave of bomb threat emails has hit the national capital, with around 20 colleges, including Jesus and Mary College in Chanakyapuri, receiving threatening messages, according to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS).

Authorities confirmed that the threatening email was received on Wednesday and, after thorough verification, was declared a hoax. Preliminary findings suggest the sender may have used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to mask their identity.

This incident follows a recent series of similar threats. Just last week, over 100 schools across Delhi received bomb threats over five days, all of which were later found to be false alarms.

On August 21, multiple schools in Delhi received bomb threats, leading to large-scale evacuations and emergency searches. Six schools in areas, including Dwarka Sector 5 and Prasad Nagar, were targeted early that morning.

Teams from the Delhi Police, Fire Services, bomb disposal squads, and dog squads were deployed immediately. While no suspicious objects were found, searches continued throughout the day. Authorities actively worked to trace the IP addresses linked to the emails.

Earlier, on August 18, Delhi Public School (DPS) in Dwarka received a bomb threat, prompting an emergency response. That threat, too, was ultimately found to be baseless.

The recurring nature of these hoax threats has triggered fears and disrupted regular academic activities. Last month, over 50 schools across Delhi received similar emails, prompting several institutions to temporarily shift to online classes. Emergency teams, including bomb disposal units and fire brigades, were dispatched across the city.

In previous incidents, schools like Abhinav Public School in Rohini and Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar were among those affected. St Stephen's College and St Thomas School in Dwarka also received similar threats in July, just days after other schools had been targeted.

On July 17, at least seven schools were affected due to these email threats.

These repeated incidents have raised serious concerns among students, parents, and educational institutions.

While all threats so far have been declared hoaxes, the frequency of these incidents has alarmed the public. In May, over 200 schools, along with hospitals, colleges, and even the Indira Gandhi International Airport, received similar threats -- many still under investigation, especially those traced to foreign VPNs.

--IANS

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