A wave of fear swept through Chandigarh on Friday morning as a series of fresh bomb threats targeted over a dozen schools and the Punjab Civil Secretariat, bringing the city to a standstill.
The menacing email, titled 'Chandigarh School Bomb Blast', claimed that the city "belongs to Khalistan" and demanded "justice" for Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In a chillingly specific ultimatum, the sender warned that explosions would rip through several schools at 1:11 pm, followed by a blast at the Secretariat at 3:11 pm. The message, purportedly signed by a group calling itself the 'Khalistan National Army', further threatened that the entire city would witness "large-scale blasts" over the next 48 hours.
Notable private schools such as Vivek High School, St John’s, Carmel Convent School, and Delhi Public School were among those affected, as well as government schools in Sectors 8, 10, 16, and Dadumajra.
The impact of the threats was especially felt since schools were in the middle of their exams. Although some school heads called for evacuations to take place immediately, others were left with no choice but to stop the exams as police, bomb squads, and sniffer dogs descended on the institutions to search them.
Police officials have noted that the language of the email bears a striking resemblance to the massive hoax that rattled the city on January 28, which affected more than two dozen schools. Despite the likely nature of this being another coordinated prank, security agencies are taking no chances, maintaining a heavy presence outside cleared campuses.
Cyber-security experts are currently tracing the origin of the emails, which also included various references to Canada. For now, the authorities are urging parents to stay calm and ignore unverified rumours circulating on social media.
Also read: Bomb threats in Delhi: Police says 'nothing suspicious' found
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