5 Malerkotla schools evacuated after bomb threat emails, later declared hoax
Bomb squad, dog squad and anti-sabotage teams conduct thorough searches; no suspicious object found
In line with the repeated threatening email-warnings of bomb blasts in other parts of the state, the Malerkotla Administration received a similar email, warning of bomb threats at several private schools of the district on Monday.
The schools which received the bomb threat were DAV Senior Secondary School in Malerkotla, Sita Grammar Public Senior Secondary School located on the Ludhiana-Malerkotla Road, The Town School in Ballewal village, Tara Convent School, Malerkotla and BGS Senior Secondary School, Binjoki Amargarh. These schools received the threat, all at different times before noon, and reported the matter to the police.
Although the police have not revealed the content of the emails, sources revealed that certain functionaries of the schools’ administration also received the bomb threats on their official email IDs.
Teaching at most of the schools was stopped immediately after the receipt of the emails, and coordinated efforts by the district police, led by SSP Gurmit Singh helped in the smooth vacating of premises. Intensive screening of all the affected schools’ premises and surroundings were conducted thoroughly to rule out the presence of any unwanted object.
SP (H) Gursharan Singh Sandhu informed that a high-security alert was sounded immediately after receipt of the bomb threats.
“Having received information about the bomb threats, our teams reached all the concerned schools and got them vacated in a systematic manner,” said Sandhu, claiming that no objectionable object was found during the anti-sabotage screening of the concerned schools.
Anti-sabotage teams, bomb squad and dog squad were deployed during the process of screening, said Sandhu, appreciating that authorities and staff of the schools facilitated the evacuation process led under the police’s supervision.
Sandhu further said that some anti-social elements were bent upon spoiling the peaceful atmosphere at various localities of Malerkotla, however, the police were well-equipped and prepared to answer any challenge.
“Besides conducting anti-sabotage exercises at the schools, we have also deployed the Cyber Crime Wing to identify the source and elements behind the threatening emails, so that stern action be taken against perpetrators of crime,” said Sandhu.
DSPs Manavjit Singh Sidhu, Sanjiv Kapoor and Inderpal Chauhan monitored the operation at the schools in their respective jurisdictions.
