The Delhi Police on Wednesday urged citizens to remain vigilant against false messages and misinformation circulating on WhatsApp. The warning came in response to a string of bomb threat emails targeting local schools, all of which were confirmed to be hoaxes.
“Some audio messages are being pushed on WhatsApp and other chat groups that some suspicious objects were found in some schools. These messages are false and have no truth in them. I request all to please convey further that these are false messages,” the Delhi Police said in statement.
On Wednesday, a total of 131 schools in Delhi were targeted with bomb threat emails, prompting evacuations and thorough searches of the premises. Following the searches, the police confirmed that no suspicious items were discovered.
Investigations revealed that the bomb threat emails originated from two sources: one from a Russian domain (@mail.ru) and the other from a Gmail account. The emails included the term ‘Swaraiim,’ an Arabic phrase linked with Islamic State propaganda, indicating an attempt to instill fear.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement that the bomb threats were hoaxes and reassured the public that there is no need for panic.