‘Disturbs mental peace’: Parents voice concerns over repeated bomb threats in Delhi schools

After dozens of schools across Delhi received bomb threats on Friday (Jul 18), anxious parents did not send their children to school despite authorities confirming that the threats were a hoax. Over 45 schools in the national capital were sent threats in email messages. While most institutions remained open after the thorough check confirmed the premises were safe, the repeated threats have sparked concern among families.

“I did not send my son today. It is not that we are panicking, but after repeated incidents, it feels safer to wait things out,” Parmita Sharma, a parent whose child studies at Richmond School in Paschim Vihar, told news agency PTI.

Voicing similar concerns, Vikram Singh, whose daughter attends Sovereign School in Rohini, said, “Even if nothing serious is found, these emails disturb the mental peace of children and parents. We discussed it in our parent group, and many of us decided to skip school for a day”

The growing uneasiness is also affecting academics. Twinkle Gujral, mother of a Class 8 student at Doon Public School in Paschim Vihar, said that repetitive threats are disrupting focus in the classroom.

“Reading such news and getting messages to take our children back home creates panic in our minds. Exams are around the corner, and all these incidents are affecting both academics and mental peace,” she said. She added that repeated scanning and metal detector checks that children have to undergo are mentally exhausting.

Sovereign Public School chairperson R K Jindal said, “We informed the authorities immediately upon receiving the email. The building was cleared after a full check, and we are conducting classes normally. We had already done emergency drills earlier this year, which helped us respond calmly.”

A father of a student in St Thomas Schools in Dwarka said that he had to leave work mid-way to pick up his daughter following a bomb threat. “Even if there is nothing, we cannot ignore the fear these messages cause. Parents can’t focus on work, and the children feel tense too. It is an emotional rollercoaster,” he said.

Delhi Police conducted inspections at the affected school along with bomb squads and fire services. The bomb threats were received in schools across multiple areas, including Dwarka, Rohini, Vasant Vihar, Janakpuri, and East of Kailash.

“All threats have been declared hoaxes after inspections,” a senior police official confirmed, adding that the police were investigating to trace the source of the emails.

In a similar incident same day, over 40 private schools in Bengaluru also received bomb threats in key localities, including RR Nagar and Kengeri.