Incident Overview
Adding to the recent series of hoax call incidents in the national capital, a Dubai-bound plane scheduled to take off from Delhi received a bomb threat via email, Delhi Police reported on Tuesday. The email, received by the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) office at IGI Airport on Monday at 9:35 am, claimed there was a bomb on board a Delhi to Dubai flight. This Dubai bound flight bomb threat prompted immediate security measures.
Immediate Response
Following the receipt of the threat, the police and airport authorities sprang into action. “On June 17 at 9:35 am, an email was received in the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) office, IGI Airport with the threat of a bomb inside a Delhi to Dubai flight,” the police confirmed. Security protocols were immediately implemented, and the aircraft was thoroughly searched. After a comprehensive investigation, nothing suspicious was found, confirming the threat to be a hoax.
Pattern of Hoax Threats
This incident is part of a troubling pattern of hoax bomb threats targeting various institutions in Delhi. Just last week, several museums in the city, including the Railway Museum, received bomb threat emails. Police responded promptly to these threats, but all were determined to be false alarms.
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Impact on Institutions
The wave of hoax threats has not been limited to airports and museums. Numerous institutions, including schools, colleges, hospitals, and other public places in the national capital, have been targeted. In May alone, over 100 schools in the Delhi-NCR region and two Delhi University colleges received hoax bomb threats. These incidents have caused widespread panic and disruption, necessitating frequent and extensive security checks.
Legal and Security Measures
In response to these recurrent threats, the Delhi High Court sought a detailed status report from the Delhi government in April regarding hoax bomb threat emails targeting private schools. On May 17, the Delhi Police filed a comprehensive status report before the High Court, detailing the deployment of five bomb disposal squads (BDS) and 18 bomb detection teams (BDTs) across each district, IGI airport, railway stations, and metro networks.
While the Dubai-bound flight bomb threat was confirmed as a hoax, the frequency of such incidents underscores the need for stringent security measures and swift legal action against perpetrators. Authorities continue to urge vigilance and cooperation from the public to ensure safety and prevent unnecessary panic.