'If I don't receive $30,000...': Over 40 Delhi schools get bomb threats; AAP blames BJP for deteriorating law and order

New Delhi: At least 40 schools in the national capital received bomb threats demanding $30,000 on Monday morning. Later, these threats were declared a hoax, but only after sending the security establishment and hundreds of parents and students into panic.

Police, bomb disposal squads, and dog squads were stretched to their limits as multiple schools along the length and breadth of the capital discovered in the morning hours that they had received emails at 11:38 pm on Sunday claiming that bombs were planted in schools and if they did not pay up $30,000, the explosives will be detonated.

This comes after several airlines received email threats in October. Schools, hospitals and government installations had also received threats earlier in May.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal were quick to blame the ruling BJP at the Centre, which controls Delhi's law and order.

Atishi said, "After the daily incidents of ransom, murders, firing in Delhi, now threats of bombing of schools are being received. The law and order situation in Delhi has never been so bad before. The BJP-ruled central government has failed in its only task of providing security to the people of Delhi."

"(Home Minister Amit Shah has failed to provide security even within a radius of 30 km from his home. Where should people go for security?...The people of Delhi have never seen such a bad state of law and order in Delhi before. Amit Shah-ji should come and answer the people of Delhi," Kejriwal said.

As soon as police and fire services were informed as early as 6:15 am about the threat mails, security personnel were rushed to the spot. Bomb disposal squads were also deployed while parents were informed by school authorities to take the children from schools.

Sources quoted the threat emails sent to schools: "I planted multiple bombs inside (school) buildings. The bombs are small. They are hidden very well. It will not cause much damage to the building but many people will be injured when the bombs detonate. You all deserve to suffer and lose limbs. If I do not receive USD 30,000 I will detonate the bombs. The group =E2=80=9CKNR=E2=80=9D is behind this attack." However, hours later, police said the threats were hoaxes.

The threat was sent in a single email marked to schools including, Modern School in Barakhamba (near Connaught Place), Delhi Public School in RK Puram, Safdarjung and East of Kailash, GD Goenka Public School in Paschim Vihar, Mother Mary School in Mayur Vihar, The British School (Chanakyapuri), Salwan Public School and Manav Rachna Global School.

Initial investigations suggested that the sender had managed to mask his location using VPN.

Last month, the Delhi High Court instructed the Delhi government and Delhi Police to develop a comprehensive action plan, including an extensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), to deal with bomb threats and other similar emergencies. Setting an eight-week deadline, the High Court had said that the SOP must define the roles and responsibilities of all the stakeholders, including school administration, municipal authorities, police and other law enforcement agencies.