Multiple schools in Jalandhar reportedly received threatening emails warning of bomb attacks on Thursday and the situation became more serious after the emails also included alleged death threats against Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways of India Ravneet Singh Bittu.
According to information received so far around five to six schools in Jalandhar received threatening emails during school hours and following the threat Apeejay School immediately declared a holiday and started sending students back home as a precautionary measure and soon after the BSF Senior Secondary School also began evacuating students from the campus to ensure their safety however the BSF school management stated that they had not received any direct threat and were taking preventive steps only as a safety measure.
The threatening email specifically targeted Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways of India Ravneet Singh Bittu and the message repeatedly used the phrase “antim yatra” while referring to both leaders and warned of attacks using bombs, grenades and even a car IED along with this the email also claimed that CM Mann would be targeted from Jalandhar to Fatehgarh Sahib and also threatened Ravneet Bittu.
The latest incident has raised major security concerns in Punjab especially because it comes just days after a recent explosion involving an LED device placed inside an Activa scooter near BSF Chowk in Jalandhar and since that incident security agencies have already been on high alert and today’s threat emails further intensified fear among residents and authorities.
According to initial reports the email sent to Apeejay School claimed that the school premises would be blown up and the threatening message was reportedly received during school hours leading the administration to immediately inform police and other concerned departments while students were evacuated from the campus without delay to avoid any possible danger and parents rushed to pick up their children after hearing about the threat.
This is not the first time schools in Jalandhar have received such threatening emails as on March 2 this year several major schools including Apeejay School, Police DAV School, Delhi Public School, MS School, SDA School, CJS Public School and Cambridge International School reportedly received bomb threats and those emails allegedly claimed that explosions would take place at 1:11 PM and also mentioned names of top political leaders as targets and another similar case was reported on March 16 when schools including Apeejay School and Delhi Public School again allegedly received threatening emails warning of blasts across Punjab where messages reportedly mentioned schools in Jalandhar, the Punjab Assembly and even Delhi-bound trains. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was also reportedly named among the targets in that case.
