At least two emails threatening bomb blasts at the Delhi Assembly, Red Fort, Metro stations and three schools in south and south-west Delhi were received on Monday morning, putting security agencies on high alert and triggering hours-long anti-sabotage and search operations.
Extensive searches yielded no explosive substances or suspicious objects, and the emails were later declared hoaxes, at least three senior Delhi Police officers confirmed. However, as a precaution, security has been stepped up at all Metro stations, the Red Fort and the Delhi Assembly, the officers said, adding that the schools were also asked to remain vigilant since the emails warned of explosions in the “next three days”.
According to police, the threat emails were sent from two Gmail IDs — “kristalburnette93@gmail.com” and “webbbyron76@gmail.com”.
The emails contained the phrase “Delhi BanayGa KHALISTAN (Delhi will become Khalistan)”, mentioned the Khalistan National Army and included names such as Eng. Guranakh Singh, Rukan Shahwala, Dr Gurnirvair Singh and Khan Rajada, which officers suspect could be linked to pro-Khalistan elements or those involved in sending the threats.
“The emails were sent between 8am and 9.10am to Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan; Air Force Bal Bharti School, Lodhi Colony; and Air Force School, Subroto Park. They were also sent to the personal email ID of Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, the official email ID of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, and two Aam Aadmi Party leaders, including former Timarpur MLA Dilip Pandey,” said one officer.
Another officer said the emails mentioned that blasts would occur at schools at 1.11, at the Delhi Assembly at 3.11, and at the Red Fort at 9.11, without specifying am or pm. The fire department was also alerted.
“Fire tenders and anti-terror squads, including bomb detection and disposal teams with sniffer dogs, conducted extensive checks at the schools, the Red Fort, the Delhi Assembly premises and at the residence of Speaker Vijender Gupta. Nothing suspicious was found at any location. The emails were subsequently declared hoaxes,” the officer said.
Following the threats, the secretary to the Speaker, Vineet Kumar, wrote to Delhi Police commissioner Satish Golchha, stating that the first email was received at 8.57am and the second at 9.08am. The emails contained a “serious warning about a possible bomb blast at the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat and against the Speaker in person”.
“The Speaker has desired that immediate and appropriate action be taken in the matter and that an investigation be carried out to trace the source of these emails, keeping in view the serious nature of the threats,” the letter stated.
The schools—Air Force Bal Bharati School, Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute and Army Public School—did not respond to emails and calls sent by HT regarding the bomb threat.
Police said a high alert was sounded across the city, and their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana were informed to step up security at Metro stations in their jurisdictions as well.
More than 500 such threat cases were reported last year, and in the past two weeks alone, at least four similar threats have been received by Delhi-NCR schools.
“We have roped in cyber teams to trace the IP addresses from which the emails were sent. The miscreants are using private networks to send such emails. Several similar threat emails were received in the past and multiple cases were registered,” a third officer said.
