Several schools in Punjab’s rural belt of Amritsar received bomb threat emails on Friday, prompting the evacuation of students and prompting authorities to launch anti-sabotage checks.
According to a Hindustan Times report, all schools opened as usual on Friday morning and students were attending their classes when some private schools, including The Senior Study School, The Junior Study School and Sprint Dale Senior Secondary School, received threatening emails.
This triggered panic across the city as worried parents rushed to pick up their wards after the district administration ordered the closure of schools in Amritsar, causing chaotic scenes.
According to news agency PTI, citing officials, search operations were conducted in all premises of the school, but nothing suspicious was found.
Officials urged citizens to avoid panic, adding that the incident was under investigation. In the past, only a few students were found to be responsible for such “mischief”. There is no need to panic as the police are on full alert, the officer said.
“Some schools in the city and rural areas have received a suspicious email. A registered officer is deployed in each school and anti-sabotage checks are underway. The Cyber Police Station is tracking the source of the mail on war footing,” Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said in a statement.
Earlier, a local DAV public school student was detained for sending a bomb threat email to his school. He was released after he and his parents apologized in writing.
“Targeting children is unforgivable…”: Congressman
Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla said he was deeply shocked by the threatening emails received by several schools. “Targeting children is an unforgivable act of cowardice and their safety is non-negotiable,” he said.
Aujla said he was inside the Lok Sabha when he came to know about the incident. “The moment I left the House, I was informed of these threats. Such acts are attempts to terrorize society and we must face them collectively, without fear,” he said, adding: “I want to assure everyone that I stand firmly with you.”
The MP said he immediately contacted the Amritsar Police Commissioner and called for increased security in all the affected schools and a swift and thorough investigation.
He also urged the Punjab government to seek direct assistance from the Center and central investigative agencies to ensure that the perpetrators are quickly identified and punished.
“Our children are the nation’s most valuable asset. Those behind this cowardly act must be arrested immediately and dealt with in the harshest possible manner,” the lawmaker said.
Referring to earlier threatening emails received by the Golden Temple, Aujla claimed that the investigation into the case had not progressed significantly.
“When such incidents are repeated, they clearly indicate a pattern. Strong and coordinated action is necessary to prevent these criminals from slipping through the cracks,” he said.
