Delhi HC issues notices to Delhi CS, Police over failure to implement bomb threat protocol in schools

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notices to the chief secretary of Delhi and the Delhi Police, after a plea accused the authorities of failing to implement a comprehensive mechanism for handling bomb threats in schools.

Justice Anish Dayal called the issue “serious” and said it demanded urgent attention, particularly as hoax bomb threats had become increasingly frequent, causing significant distress

to children, their parents, and educational institutions.

The petition claimed that the authorities had disregarded the Court’s order from November 14, 2024, which had directed the formulation of a detailed action plan and standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with bomb threats. The Court had given the authorities eight weeks to put this plan in place.

Justice Dayal on Thursday directed an update on the issue, and scheduled the next hearing for May 19, when officials from the government and police are expected to appear in court.

The petitioner, Advocate Arpit Bhargava, accused the Delhi government and police of neglecting their duties in responding to the repeated bomb threat emails targeting schools. He pointed out that the eight-week deadline had expired on January 14, 2025, but no action plan or SOP had been provided. Advocate Beenashaw N Soni, who represented the petitioner, emphasised that the authorities’ failure to act showed a disregard for the Court’s orders and demonstrated inefficiency in addressing a matter of public safety.

“The Court’s directions were intended to ensure the protection of schoolchildren and educational institutions in case of bomb threats or similar emergencies,” she said.

The plea argued that the ongoing failure of the respondents to comply with the Court’s directives has left the educational environment in Delhi vulnerable to repeated bomb threats.