The Bengaluru police have said that the bomb threat emails sent to around eight Bengaluru schools could be a hoax call. Around seven to eight schools in east Bengaluru were evacuated and searched after they receieved threat emails warning of a “very powerful bomb” on the school premises. Nothing has been found in the police searches of the schools, A Subramanyeswara Rao, Additional Commissioner of Police of Bengaluru East Zone has said,
Speaking to the media, Rao also said that such hoax bomb threat calls have been made during examinations. Karnataka Class 12 state board exams are currently underway in the state.
“All the bomb threat emails have been sent from different email IDs. We have searched around eight schools so far, most of which are located in the eastern part of Bengaluru; it could be coincidental,” he added. Parents and students don't need to panic, the police have the situation under control. We have checked all schools and found nothing.”
The police are tracking who sent the bomb threat emails. The email sent to one of the schools claimed that a “very powerful bomb” had been placed in the schools. The email that was sent to the schools said that a bomb has been planted in the school and that it was “not a joke.” “Immediately call the police and sappers, hundreds of lives may suffer, including yours, do not delay, now everything is only in your hands,” the email stated.
“It prima facie appears to be a hoax call but we're not taking anything lightly. We've dispatched our bomb detection and disposal squad to all the schools, they'll shortly complete their work. Two teams are working to find the source of the email IDs,” the ACP said.
After the threat emerged on Friday morning, the schools were evacuated and the students were sent home. A parent of a child who attends one of the schools that received the email, told TNM that the students were asked to go home. Many other schools in Bengaluru that had not received the email also asked their students to go home, as a precautionary measure.