Bomb threat emails trigger panic in schools during board exams

Amid ongoing board examinations, several private schools in Amritsar received bomb threats on Friday morning, triggering panic and confusion. The threats were sent anonymously via email. Heads and principals of several prominent private schools received similar messages claiming that bombs had been planted on their campuses.

School authorities immediately informed the police upon receiving the emails, as examinations conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) were underway as per schedule. There was reportedly no disruption to the conduct of examinations at any of the schools at the time.

Confirming the development, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Amritsar, Alam Vijay Singh released a video message stating that special task force teams, including bomb disposal squads, had conducted thorough searches of the schools concerned. “Several schools received bomb threats today, and our teams have carried out inspections at the identified premises. We are still assessing the situation, but there is no need to panic or feel scared. As board examinations are being conducted, this could also be the handiwork of miscreants intending to create fear or panic. We are examining all possibilities,” he said.

This is the second instance in two months of private schools in the city receiving bomb threats. The incidents may also be linked to a broader, deliberate attempt to create panic, as a series of similar email threats have been reported since July 2025 in private schools across Delhi, Chandigarh and various parts of Punjab.

Following standard procedure, the police have deployed gazetted officers at each affected school, and anti-sabotage checks are underway. The cyber police station is working to trace the source of the emails.

District Education Officer Rajesh Sharma said he visited schools in border belt areas that received threats to ensure the safety of students. “We immediately dispatched teams, and I personally visited schools in Mahwa, Attari and several other areas where threats were reported. The police must identify those responsible for these repeated attempts to cause social disruption, particularly when schools are being targeted,” he said.

Meanwhile, the head of one of the affected schools said, “Today we had the Computer Applications and Information Technology examinations for CBSE Class X and the Fine Arts examination for Class XII. Therefore, student attendance was not at full strength. We alerted the police promptly and ensured that students were sent home safely without any disruption,” she added.