Ludhiana: A series of targeted bomb threats against schoolchildren has highlighted a critical shortage of police resources in one of the country’s major industrial hubs. As parents rushed to pull students from examination halls following threats of mid-day blasts, it emerged that local investigators were forced to “borrow” bomb squads and sniffer dogs from neighbouring districts to clear the buildings.Thousands of students in 13 schools were caught in the crosshairs of this sophisticated hoax on Tuesday after emails warned of imminent explosions in school buildings and on the rail network. While the threats — aimed purportedly at the state’s chief minister and “migrant” workers — were declared a bluff eventually, the incident has sparked a heated debate over the adequacy of emergency response protocols during peak board examination season.The threats claimed that explosives would be detonated in school buildings by 1.11pm, followed by blasts on trains by 3.11pm. The emails also contained warnings directed at “migrants” to leave the state by mid-April and issued a threat against Punjab chief minister, Bhagwant Singh Mann. Ludhiana’s police commissioner, Swapan Sharma, has confirmed that no explosives were found following thorough searches of school premises and the local railway station. “The cybercrime team is at work to trace the origin of these emails,” Sharma said.Impact on ExaminationsThe timing of the threats caused significant disruption as several schools were in the midst of conducting final board examinations. While some institutes continued their govt-mandated testing under police supervision, others were forced to cancel sessions midway. Satwant Kaur Bhullar, principal of DAV Public School, Pakhowal, has confirmed that a Class-IX mathematics paper was among those postponed. Many parents rushed to the campuses to collect their children after being notified of the situation by school administrations.Loom City Awaits A BarkThe police response drew scrutiny from some school officials, who reported that specialised units were slow to arrive. The Ludhiana police commissionerate lacks its own canine unit currently; its last tracking dog, Pixie, died in early 2023, while other specialist dogs have retired or passed away over the last four years.Additional deputy commissioner of police (headquarters) Vaibhav Sehgal has defended the response, noting that officers from local stations are trained to conduct initial sweeps. “The police force from the respective stations checked the premises. The officers are competent enough to identify explosives,” Sehgal said. He added that the specialised bomb disposal squad was brought in from the Sahnewal airport to inspect the schools sequentially, noting that maintaining 13 separate specialised squads in a single district was not feasible.Probe Into Stated Source‘The emails were signed purportedly by individuals claiming affiliation with the “Khalistan National Army”. Police are treating the matter as a coordinated hoax intended to cause public panic. Case files have been opened under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal conspiracy and intimidation. Sources indicate that Ludhiana police have submitted multiple requests to the state govt previously to replenish their canine squad with five new specialist dogs to handle such security threats and VIP movements.
