Several schools in Noida were evacuated on Thursday following the receipt of bomb threat emails, igniting emergency security measures and fostering anxiety among students, parents, and school staff. This unsettling incident coincided with the ongoing Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board examinations, intensifying worries about student safety.

According to officials, around a dozen schools reported similar threatening emails throughout the day. In response, swift action was taken by teams from the Noida Police, who arrived at the affected campuses to initiate standard security protocols. As a precautionary measure, both students and teachers were moved from classrooms to designated safe areas while bomb disposal and dog squads undertook comprehensive searches of the school premises.

In the backdrop of these unsettling developments, fire department teams were also placed on standby at several locations. Police officials confirmed that thorough checks were conducted in collaboration with school administrations to rule out any immediate threat. “So far, nothing suspicious has been found,” an official stated, noting that search operations were ongoing at the time.

Moreover, several of the schools temporarily suspended exam-related activities during the rigorous security checks. Parents, many of whom rushed to school gates after being alerted about the evacuations, expressed their concerns but were reassured by authorities that safety protocols were diligently being followed.

In a proactive effort, cyber teams have initiated an investigation to trace the origin of the threatening emails. Officials revealed that they are analyzing email headers and digital trails to ascertain whether the messages were dispatched from within India or were routed through overseas servers. The police stressed that all bomb threats are taken very seriously until proven otherwise, especially when schools and examinations are involved. “This is about ensuring the safety of children. Even if previous cases have turned out to be hoaxes, every alert is taken seriously,” a senior police officer affirmed.

This alarming incident emerges amid a string of similar bomb threat emails targeting schools in Noida over recent months. Last week, on 15 February, police arrested six individuals in connection with bomb threat emails sent to nearly 20 schools in the city the previous month. Investigators revealed that while those emails initially seemed to originate from servers in the United States, they were ultimately traced to a residence in Bisrakh, Greater Noida. The accused were speculated to be operating an illegal online betting venture, employing fake email accounts and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) numbers to mask their identities.

Earlier in the year, specifically on 23 January, nearly 20 schools in Noida had received comparable threat emails ahead of Republic Day celebrations. In light of the heightened security environment, senior police officers executed extensive searches across various campuses alongside bomb disposal squads, dog squads, and fire teams. Those alerts were finally dismissed as hoaxes.

To identify and prosecute the perpetrators behind these threats, police have registered cases pertaining to criminal intimidation, public mischief, and the provisions of the Information Technology Act. Previous raids have yielded laptops, mobile phones, debit and credit cards, passports, identity documents, a chequebook, and cash, as investigators work to uncover a broader network behind these hoax threats.

In light of the current climate, authorities have urged parents and the public to remain calm and depend on official updates rather than unverified information circulating on social media. An enhanced police presence has been implemented around schools as a safety precaution.