In another disturbing case of "email terrorism," the prestigious Lourdes Central School, situated in Bejai, Mangaluru, received an email bomb threat on the morning of Thursday, February 26, 2026. The attack which was dropped in the school’s official mailbox in the early hours of the morning led to an immediate security protocol, and the local student and family community was in shock.
When the threatening message was found the school had immediately notified Kadri (Mangaluru East) Police Station. A high-alert police force, including the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) and sniffer dog units, was deployed to campus in a quick response to carry out thorough anti-sabotage sweeps.
Rapid evacuation and comprehensive surveillance. As a precaution, the school’s security forces relocated students and staff to safety while the specialized teams searched every section of the building, including classrooms, administrative offices and the playground.
- Origin: Preliminary technical investigations suggest that the rogue email originated from a server located in Chennai.
- Status: After nearly three hours of intense searching, the police department found that no suspicious articles or explosives were discovered.
We are now officially labeling the threat a hoax. We learned that there was a threat email sent to the Bejai school principal. Our police officers performed a complete search using standard operating procedures. The situation is under control and parents are discouraged from panicking, a Kadri division senior police official said.
An Increasingly Frequent Hoax Threats Pattern
This is not an isolated incident. Recently Mangaluru, along several other centres in Karnataka, as well as other parts of the state, has been hit with a number of similar hoax threats over the past few weeks:
Court Threats:
On 24 February 2026, the Dakshina Kannada District Court complex of Mangaluru received a similar threat email a few days ago. It was later traced back to Tamil Nadu and diagnosed as a hoax.
- Statewide Alerts: On 16 February, almost 10 district courts across Karnataka, including those in Bengaluru and Dharwad, were scared by similar threats.
- Academic Disruption: Schools across India such as Delhi and Noida, continue to receive such mass e-mails during the ongoing 2026 Board Exams, implying a concerted effort to provoke public panic.
Police Warning and Investigation
The Mangaluru City Police has charged and lodged a case under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the IT Act. The Cyber Crime cell is coordinating with its counterparts in Chennai to trace the digital trail of the sender. A warning is being sent out by the police that those that carry out such “prank” emails that consume emergency resources and induce great levels of psychological suffering will be subject to harsh legal proceedings of various types.
