Twenty-six schools in Chandigarh, eight in Gurugram evacuated after bomb threat emails

Several schools in Chandigarh and Gurugram were evacuated on Wednesday after receiving bomb threat emails, prompting large-scale security operations and renewed concern over a growing pattern of hoax threats targeting educational institutions.

In Chandigarh , 26 schools across multiple sectors received threatening emails early in the morning. After school authorities alerted the police, teams were rushed to the campuses and students and staff were evacuated as a precaution . Bomb disposal squads, sniffer dogs, fire brigade units and ambulances were deployed to conduct thorough anti-sabotage checks. Students who were on their way to school were asked to return home, while parents rushed to collect children already on campus. Police later said that no suspicious objects were found during the searches. An FIR has been registered and the cyber cell is examining the email trails to identify the sender.

In Gurugram , police said that at least eight private schools received similar bomb threat emails around 7.10 am , just as students were about to reach the campuses. The affected schools include Kunsakpalan School in DLF Phase-1, Lancers School in Sector 53, Heritage Experiential Learning School in Sector 64, Shiv Nadar School in DLF Phase-1, Shri Ram Aravali School and Pathways World School near Badshahpur, among others. School management immediately informed the police control room and issued messages to parents advising them not to send their children to school. Students who had already arrived were sent back. Police teams, bomb squads, sniffer dogs and SDRF units carried out searches at all the campuses. Officials said no suspicious material has been recovered so far , but the situation continues to be closely monitored.

The incidents come amid a noticeable increase in bomb threat emails in recent days across several cities. Similar alerts have recently been reported from Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala in Punjab, and Ambala in Haryana , most of which later turned out to be hoaxes.

Police officials say that investigations into earlier cases across India have shown that many such emails were sent as hoaxes , often using anonymous email accounts or VPNs to avoid detection. In some previous incidents, the threats were traced to students who sent emails to disrupt classes or delay examinations , while in several other cases the senders were found to be unknown individuals exploiting online anonymity . Authorities emphasised that not all threats originate from students , and each case is investigated independently.

Security agencies stressed that every threat is treated as genuine until proven otherwise , which is why evacuations and extensive checks are mandatory despite a history of hoaxes. Police in both Chandigarh and Gurugram said cybercrime units are actively working to trace the origin of the emails and warned that sending hoax bomb threats is a serious criminal offence .