Hoax bomb threats rock multiple Shimla schools

Panic gripped Shimla on Wednesday morning after multiple prominent private schools in the city received alarming emails threatening to blow up their buildings with explosives. The threatening messages led to immediate evacuations, sending waves of fear among students, teachers and anxious parents.

According to reports, the emails claimed that explosives had been planted within school premises. Acting swiftly, school authorities contacted the police, and bomb disposal squads, CID teams and local law enforcement rushed to the sites. Each campus was thoroughly searched and sanitised, but no explosives or suspicious materials were found. Classes later resumed after security clearance.

Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Tewari confirmed the development, stating that the situation was under control and all threats turned out to be hoaxes. He emphasised that the state police, in coordination with agencies from other states facing similar threats, are working to trace the origin of the emails.

Appealing for public calm, DGP Tewari said: “These are deliberate attempts to spread fear. We are actively investigating and will ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. The police are fully prepared and capable of handling such situations.”

The bomb threat emails are not an isolated incident. Over the past few months, Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a surge in such hoaxes, with eight to 10 bomb threats received, including at the Himachal Pradesh High Court, several session courts (Shimla, Kullu, Rampur, Sirmaur and Chamba), DC offices in Mandi and Hamirpur and even the offices of the Chief Secretary and the HP Secretariat.

Police sources indicate that the contents of these threatening emails are strikingly similar, pointing to a possible single source. Preliminary investigations suggest the emails may have been sent using identities of former students of Anna University, Chennai. The cybercrime wing is now involved in tracing the original sender.