Several schools across Bengaluru sent their students back home before noon on Friday after receiving bomb threats via e-mails.

Meanwhile, some other private schools which did not receive threats also followed suit as a precautionary measure.  

On Friday morning, parents were alarmed to receive notices from their children’s schools asking them to pick their students back as the schools had received threats. While the number of schools that received the hoax remains unknown, it is estimated that over 20 such private schools got the threat.

“My daughter and son study in private schools. We got a message around 11.20 am asking us to pick up the child. We were not informed about any threat but were just told it is a safety measure” said Bandana (name changed) one of the parents.  

“As we have received information from the department stating that due to some emergency the schools have to be closed today. Kindly come and pick your child as soon as possible,” a message from Tiny Toe, a K-12 school in Frazer Town read. The school, however, did not receive any threat.   

NEEV, KLAY in Sadashivnagar, Carmel Convent in Basaveshwarnagar, Rashtrotthana Vidyakendra were among the other schools to get these threats via mail following which bomb squads conducted inspection. Deputy Chief minister and Bengaluru-in-charge minister DK Shivakumar also visited private schools in Sadashivanagar following the incident.

Excerpts of the e-mail read: “There are explosive devices on the School grounds… You are enemies of Allah we will kill you and your children.. Convert to Islam or die under the weight of sword of Islam.”(sic)

Responding to the hoax, minister for school education and literacy, Madhu Bangarappa said, “safety of children is of utmost priority for parents. We are in touch with the police and assure you that anyone responsible for this will be traced. We will not let them go easily. The same had taken place even last year but on a small scale.”

 Taking to social media, B Dayananda, commissioner of police, Bengaluru said, “Certain schools in Bengaluru city have received emails today morning indicating ‘bomb threat’. Anti sabotage and bomb detection squads have been pressed into service to verify and ascertain. The calls seem to be hoax. Even then all efforts will be made to trace the culprits.”

It may be recollected that in April this year, similar threat mails were sent to schools across Bengaluru prompting them to push the panic button. 

Also read: Bengaluru: Private Schools served notices over lack of safety measures