A bomb threat call from a school in Delhi’s Mayur Vihar on Friday morning triggered a security response, with police and emergency teams searching in the building and searching for possible explosives. Balram Public School in Mayur Vihar Phase 1 was identified as the target and the incident has raised the eyebrows of students, parents and staff.
According to Delhi Fire Service officials, the threat call was received at 8:40 am. The relevant authorities were notified and security teams were sent to the school to assess the situation. Search operations were carried out at the premises to determine if there was any actual threat.
At present, there is no official confirmation that any explosive device has been found at the school. There are still checks going on, as a precautionary measure (there is no news of the device and no reaction).
The incident comes at a time when several schools and educational institutions in Delhi have received bomb threats. Such threats have led security agencies to conduct intensive searches and precautionary checks at affected premises.
Security Teams conduct Search at Mayur Vihar School
After the threat call, police and emergency response teams arrived at Balram Public School. Security personnel are checking the school premises as part of the response to the reported threat.
School bomb threats are seen as serious security issues as schools can have a large number of students and staff on campus. In most cases, authorities do search for any suspicious object or danger if it has been discovered and/or found on the premises.
Officials have not yet disclosed the identity of the caller and the nature of the threat and the reason for that call and are not sure if the call was genuine or a hoax, they added. Details will be provided if security operations and the investigation continue.
Parents and members of the school community are likely to closely monitor updates from the police and school authorities.
Several Delhi schools received threats earlier this week
The Mayur Vihar incident follows a series of bomb threats against schools in Delhi this week. The British School, Sardar Patel School, Springdales School and Air Force Bal Bharati School were among those targeted by threats, said sources.
Delhi Police teams were on the scene and were conducting security checks on the affected schools. Earlier reports also stated that bomb disposal teams and sniffer dogs were deployed during searches following several threats received by Delhi schools.
The repeated incidents have resulted in higher security measures at educational institutions in the capital. Although threats can cause disruption to school schedules, authorities have acted on each warning and checked for real danger if they’re there and checked for anything.
Investigation Into Threat Calls
The new incident will also be looked at in the future in connection with recent bomb threats to schools and many other institutions. Police will investigate the source of the Mayur Vihar call and its link to the other threats reported in the capital.
Another recent investigation in another part of the country also raised the wider issue of organized bomb-threat messages. Gujarat Police said yesterday they arrested two men allegedly linked to an interstate cybercrime network and had been involved in bomb threats to government offices, educational institutions and courts. During the investigation, more than five lakh email IDs and passwords were found, investigators said.
But there is no information on the connection of that investigation with the Mayur Vihar school incident.
Further Details Awaited
The security search at Balram Public School is the immediate focus following the 8:40 am threat call. After the inspection of the premises is complete, officials will provide more information.
Hence, the incident is still being investigated and there is no indication that an explosive device was found at the school. Security measures are in place and at this time police and emergency teams are investigating the danger.
The incident once more underscores the security issues schools can face after repeated bomb threats in Delhi. The call made by the police is expected to be investigated to determine whether it was a real or a false alarm, the government says.
