Gujarat: 16 Ahmedabad schools, 11 with polling booths, get bomb threats

On the eve of Lok Sabha elections in Ahmedabad, as many as 16 schools here received an email on Monday, 6 May, threatening bomb blasts. However, a police statement said it was a hoax, as searches failed to unearth anything suspicious.

Eleven of these schools are designated polling booths for Lok Sabha voting on Tuesday, 7 May, disclosed joint commissioner of police (crime branch) Sharad Singhal.

The 16 schools include 12 in the city and four on the outskirts, Singhal added.

"The content of the email sent to these schools is similar to that sent to schools in Delhi recently. The email was sent using a Russian domain, 'mail.ru'. Nothing suspicious was found during the search operation carried out in all these schools. This was clearly a hoax call," Singhal told reporters.

After being alerted, police teams—including the bomb detection and disposal squad, dog squad and crime branch personnel—reached these schools and conducted a thorough search, a statement by the Ahmedabad City Crime Branch announced.

'No explosives were found during the search operation. Our teams are patrolling these areas and technical surveillance has also been initiated about the sender of the email. We appeal to people not to panic and to stay away from rumours. This threat was a hoax,' the statement said.

Ignore this email (sent to schools) and exercise your voting rights tomorrow without any fear, the statement exhorted citizens.

Earlier, deputy commissioner of police (cyber crime cell) Lavina Sinha told PTI that the email originates from a domain outside of India, and that the content was similar to the one received by schools in Delhi recently.

The schools that received the threat email included DPS and Anand Niketan in Bopal, Udgam School on the S.G. Highway, Calorx School in Ghatlodia, the Kendriya Vidyalaya at Chandkheda and the Army Cantonment school on Airport Road.

"The sender threatened to blow up our school. Our school has 24-hour security and NEET was conducted at our campus yesterday. We have not received any parcels from outside and our doors were also shut," said Udgam School administrator Dhimant Choksi.

District education officer Rohit Chaudhary said after the emails were received, the schools informed the local police while his department updated the control room.

"A preliminary probe has revealed it was a hoax and the threat was given to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in view of voting on 7 May, " he said.

Polling in 25 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will be held on Tuesday.