Delhi Secretariat, 2 medical colleges get bomb threats

The Delhi Secretariat and Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) in Central Delhi and University College of Medical Sciences (GTB Medical College) in Shahdra received bomb threats via email on Tuesday, triggering swift response from law enforcement agencies. However, the threats were later declared hoax, officials said.

The police said the threats mentioned that RDX, having a one-km blast radius, were planted in the three sites.

Immediate and coordinated action was taken under standard operating procedures (SOPs), with bomb detection and disposal teams (BDDT) pressed into service at the three sites. After thorough checking, the bomb threats were declared hoax, they said.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan, the Dean of the MAMC received a threat e-mail regarding the presence of a bomb either at the CM Secretariat or the medical college.

Upon receipt of the threat, immediate and coordinated action was initiated as per the established SOPs. Bomb detection and disposal teams (BDDS/BDT) conducted thorough checks and scans on MAMC and the Secretariat premises, Valsan added.

The entire area was screened. After thorough checking, the threat was declared hoax, the cop mentioned adding that a legal action was being taken in this regard.

The DCP mentioned that a preliminary assessment of the threat email shows similarity with previous such hoax emails, with indications that the message might have been intended for a location in another state. However, the mail was treated with full seriousness and all SOPs were followed.

In a similar way, another bomb threat e-mail was sent to University College of Medical Sciences (GTB Medical College) in Shahdara area.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said the information regarding the bomb threat was received at 11 am from GTB Hospital. After getting information, as per SOPs, the college premises were vacated.

A bomb detection squad team checked every corner of the building. At 1.30 pm, the building was declared cleared from any threat, Gautam added.

Bomb threats to institutions in Aug

• At least six schools received bomb threats on August 21. All turned out to be hoax.

• Around 50 schools in the national capital received bomb threats on August 20 through e-mail, prompting the police and other emergency agencies to launch a search operation, but all of them turned out to be hoax.

• As many as 32 Delhi schools got bomb threats on August 18. All of them were declared hoax.