Fresh bomb threats spark panic in Delhi schools as cops struggle to trace senders

New Delhi: A fresh wave of bomb threats sent via email triggered widespread panic in Delhi on Wednesday morning, with five private schools evacuating students and staff for thorough checks. This marks the third consecutive day of such threats targeting educational institutions in the national capital.

According to officials, St Thomas School in Dwarka received its second threat in under 24 hours. Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, Mother International in Hauz Khas, Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate also received threatening emails before school hours. In each case, bomb disposal squads, Delhi Police, and cyber teams rushed to the premises, but no suspicious

items were found.

In total, 10 such emails have been sent to nine different schools over the past three days. The threats have disrupted regular functioning and created significant anxiety among students, parents, and staff.

Delhi Police sources revealed that the emails appear to follow a similar pattern — vague yet alarming language, timed before school starts, and routed through international servers using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and the dark web. This sophisticated method of masking has made it extremely difficult for authorities to trace the culprits.

“Tracking someone on the dark web is like chasing a shadow in a room full of mirrors,” a senior officer said. “Each lead disappears behind another layer of anonymity.”

Cyber experts believe that the sender or group involved is well-versed in anonymisation techniques, using multiple proxy servers and VPN chains to bounce their location across borders. In many cases, even service providers are unable to assist due to the level of encryption involved.

While these threats have so far turned out to be hoaxes, police are no longer treating them as pranks. A multi-agency probe is underway, with officers examining possible terror links or politically motivated elements. Earlier cases — including a January incident in which a Class 12 student was arrested for sending threats to over 400 schools — are also being revisited for potential connections. The Directorate of Education has urged schools to follow its detailed 115-point SOP, enhancing on-site security measures. Delhi Police have issued advisories and are conducting awareness sessions to guide school staff on managing such incidents and preserving digital evidence.

Investigations remain active, but no arrests have

been made so far.