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NEW DELHI — A total of 125 calls regarding bomb threats were received from different schools in the national capital at 112, the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) number, on Wednesday between around 6 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., according to the Delhi Police FIR in the 'threat emails' case.
"During my duty hours, 125 bomb threat calls were received from different schools at ERSS-112 from 5:47 hours to 14:13 hours. The school authorities informed that they had received these bomb threats over their email IDs," read the complaint given by a police official, based on which the FIR was registered.
The FIR copy, accessed by IANS, stated that on the receipt of the calls, PCR vehicles were rushed to the schools, and all concerned departments were also alerted.
"These resulted in massive inconvenience and elaborate exercise across the city in safely evacuating the schools and carrying out anti-sabotage checks. It appears that the emails used to send the threats were made with the conspiratorial intention of creating mass panic and to disturb public been made out," it read.
The case has been handed over to the Counter Intelligence Unit of the Delhi Police's Special Cell, known for its expertise in cybercrime investigation.
Delhi Police's Special Cell has filed the FIR against unidentified individuals under sections 505, 21, 507, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code.
A wave of panic swept through the National Capital Region (NCR) as 125 schools in Delhi, five in Gurugram, and three in Noida and Greater Noida were compelled to evacuate their students following threatening emails hinting at the presence of explosives on their premises on Wednesday.
The situation escalated rapidly as police stations in Delhi and its neighbouring areas were inundated with PCR calls from the affected schools, prompting swift action from law enforcement agencies. Fire brigades were put on high alert, and police units from across the city rushed to the schools in distress.
In a frenzied rush, parents scrambled from their homes to ensure the safety of their children.
The email address used, sawariim@mail.ru, indicated its Russian origin. However, police officials clarified that it cannot be ascertained if they actually originated from Russia as the perpetrators may have used a masked IP address.
Investigations revealed that all schools received the threat emails from a single IP address, likely masked using a VPN connection.
The use of the Arabic word 'Sawariim,' meaning clashing of swords and associated with ISIS propaganda, raised concerns. However, officials deemed it improbable that ISIS was involved, suggesting that perpetrators often mimic ISIS signatures to lend credibility to threats.
The threats turned out to be a hoax.