SIXTY-EIGHT private schools in and around the city on Friday received emails warning of bomb threat on their premises, triggering panic among the staff and parents, police said. The school authorities immediately alerted police, who reached the institutions concerned with the bomb disposal squads and anti-sabotage check teams, they said, while indicating the bomb threat could be a hoax. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he has asked police to investigate the e-mail and its source seriously, and provide adequate security to schools and temples as a precautionary measure. State Home Minister G Parameshwara said the message had come from an email id “[email protected],” saying bombs have been placed in the schools in Bengaluru and threatened to kill children and staff. “We are seriously verifying it and its source. I have spoken to the Commissioner and officials and have given the necessary instructions and verification on whether it is true or hoax and measures to be taken accordingly. We will verify as to who is behind it and if there is an involvement of any terrorist organisation, and take measures accordingly. For now, it cannot be said who is behind it.

 

The message in the email asks people to convert and other things--it will be verified,” he told reporters. Among 68 schools which received the bomb threat, 48 of them are located within the city while the rest are in Bengaluru Rural limits, police added. The students and staff were immediately evacuated from the school premises, police said, adding no suspicious objects were found yet and prima facie, it looks like a hoax message. City Police Commissioner B Dayananda said bomb detection and disposal squads were sent to all these schools, and most likely it seemed to be a hoax. “Earlier also similar threat letters and emails had come to schools and they were found to be a hoax for mischief and police had identified those behind it. Police are verifying today’s mails too...Officials and personnel have gone to all these spots. I appeal to people not to worry, as most likely all these are hoax calls (mails),” he said.