A 17-year-old Class 12 student from a prominent school in south Delhi was detained for allegedly sending multiple bomb threat emails to schools across Delhi, police said on Friday. The boy was apprehended on Thursday outside Delhi, questioned, and later released after counselling.
The detention followed a series of hoaxes, with over 16 schools receiving bomb threats on Wednesday, marking the seventh such incident in two months. Last year, at least 14 similar threats disrupted schools, causing panic among students, teachers, and parents, and necessitating the deployment of bomb squads, firefighters, and paramilitary forces.
Investigators traced the latest email, sent at 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday from a Gmail account, warning of a “powerful bomb” planted in schools during examinations. The sender demanded a ransom and instructed schools to reply “yes” or “no” to receive more details.
Schools targeted in the recent hoaxes included Air Force Bal Bharti School, DPS RK Puram, Modern School Vasant Vihar, and several others, mostly in south Delhi.
Teen’s Motivation and Modus Operandi
A senior officer revealed that the boy had been making similar threats since last year, motivated by a desire to delay exams or school events. He often boasted about the hoaxes to friends, who sometimes requested him to send more emails to postpone parent-teacher meetings or exams.
The teenager, described as tech-savvy, used VPNs to mask his location while sending emails. However, he was caught when he forgot to activate a VPN for the latest email, allowing police to trace his device.
Police believe the boy sent threats to as many as 23 schools, including his own, last month. Earlier, he primarily targeted other schools to avoid suspicion falling on him.
Legal and Investigative Actions
An FIR has been registered under relevant sections, but police have not disclosed specific details. Since the hoaxes are categorized as non-cognisable and non-heinous crimes, the boy was counselled and allowed to return home. Further legal action will depend on the ongoing investigation.
The boy’s phone has been submitted to the forensic science laboratory for analysis. Investigators are also probing his involvement in at least three to four previous bomb threat incidents.
This case follows a similar unresolved incident in May last year when 250 schools across Delhi-NCR received bomb threats, and another case in December when a minor in Paschim Vihar was detained for a similar act.
Authorities continue to urge schools to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities promptly.
