Several schools in Noida and Greater Noida, in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Budh Nagar district, received bomb threat emails early Monday morning, triggering a security alert and the deployment of police and specialised security teams.
School administrations immediately contacted the police with the emergency helpline, and an urgent response to get in and check the premises and safety of students, teachers and staff.
Police officials said no suspicious objects had been found during the searches so far and that the situation remained under control. Security checks were carried out with the help of bomb disposal squads, dog squads, anti-sabotage check (ASC) teams and fire brigade personnel. Senior police officers were responsible for the operation at the affected schools.
It took the district a couple of days to determine the source and credibility of the threat emails.
Several schools in Noida and Greater Noida receive threats.
Police sources said some schools in Gautam Budh Nagar including the ones in Noida and Greater Noida received emails threatening bomb attacks. The school administration informed the police immediately and a number of teams were deployed to conduct inspections.
Abhay Kumar Mishra, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Noida) said searches were going on at the affected schools and nothing suspicious had been found at the time of the update. The number of schools that received the threat emails was not disclosed in the report because of the need to prevent panic among students and parents.
The response involved multiple specialized units trained to identify and deal with potential security threats. Bomb disposal squads and dog squads searched the property, anti-sabotage teams checked to see if there was danger. Fire brigade personnel were also involved in the security response.
Police officials said the inspections were being done as a precautionary measure. “The immediate focus was on the threats and for the safety of the school premises before we could resume normal academic activities,” said the police.
Classes to Resume after Security Checks
In their report, officials said classes were resumed at the schools affected by the security inspections, and that the aim was to minimize disruption to students’ education and to protect their safety.
Santosh Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) said classes were resumed after the checks and that officials were taking steps to prevent panic among students. Some security procedures were carried out in a manner similar to mock drills to avoid unnecessary alarm on school campuses.
The decision to restart classes was taken after the first inspections when there were no suspicious objects or adverse findings. But officials were monitoring the threat emails.
Parents and students were also worried about school security and the damage that could be done to the school if students received threatening messages. Police told the public to use official information instead of untrustworthy claims circulating on social media and via messaging.
The Cyber Team Investigates Threat Emails
Gautam Budh Nagar Police said local police teams responded promptly on Monday evening after receiving the news about the bomb threat emails. Security checks are ongoing at the affected schools and the bomb disposal squad, dog squad, anti-sabotage check team and fire brigade are involved.
The police statement said nothing suspicious or adverse had come to light so far and that constant vigilance was in place. And there was also a technical probe by the cyber team into the emails.
The cyber investigation will be used to find the digital trail of the threatening messages and the reason why they were sent or where they came from and to reveal any relevant information about what can be made out of the threat. Police have not said who sent the emails or whether any suspects have been identified.
The matter is being handled with a sense of seriousness and caution and we need to keep an eye on it,” he said. Initial checks were not suspect and the communications were monitored, but the communications were ongoing, he said.
Police Appeal to the Public to Avoid Rumours
Gautam Budh Nagar Police said that the situation was normal and law and order was fully under control. They asked the people not to believe in or spread rumours about the incident.
The episode underscores the necessity of an inter-disciplinary response to security threats at schools. Early communication between school administration and police and systematic inspections and technical examinations have been found to help authorities to detect risks and reduce disruption to academic activities.
Schools and parents are therefore likely to remain updated as the investigation continues. Police have so far not found any suspicious objects at the inspected premises and the cyber team continues to review the threat emails.
Public cooperation was cited as one of the main factors in such attacks, the police said. Residents should follow verified police communications and avoid airing unverified information that could create unnecessary fear.
While the initial security checks did not find anything suspicious, the investigation into the emails is ongoing. Details of the number of schools affected, the origin of the messages and any other findings will be dependent on the outcome of the police investigation.
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