Bomb threat emails to Ahmedabad schools sent from Russian domain: Cops

AHMEDABAD: About a week after 150-odd schools in Delhi received emails with bomb hoaxes, at least 47 schools in the city were sent similar threatening emails on Monday morning, on the eve of voting in Gujarat for the Lok Sabha election.

Most of these schools are to be used as polling booths. Ahmedabad police commissioner G S Malik told TOI that the emails, sent from a Russian domain, contained Arabic words and a message threatening to bomb the schools.
Malik said the emails were being investigated by city crime branch, cybercrime branch and the special operations group (SOG). Malik ruled out the possibility of a terrorist group being involved. The sender identified himself as “Tauheed Warrior” and warned of attacks by “Istishhadi” (martyrdom seekers) across the city. The message expressed an intent to establish sharia law in Gujarat and threatened violence against those who resisted.
“Istishhadi have spread out all over the city and are ready to launch an attack. Tauheed’s warriors will kill all those who resist our goal to establish sharia law in Gujarat. Submit to us or die of our hatred. We will turn your life into endless rivers of bloody agony and suffering. Love and hatred for the sake of Allah,” reads the message.
Joint commissioner of police, city crime branch, Sharad Singhal told mediapersons that various schools received the threat email at about 2am on Monday. Reiterating that they were sent from a Russian domain, Singhal said, “Crime branch, bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) and dog squad teams checked the schools. Cybercrime also analyzed the emails. They have found that it was a hoax.” Singhal said similar hoax emails were received by schools in Delhi. On receiving the email, some schools called the city police control room.
Several schools that have closed for summer vacation learned about the threat emails from police and the district education officer (DEO). Rohit Chaudhary, DEO, Ahmedabad city, told TOI, “We informed all schools about the threat email. We have prepared a list of these schools. Most have been checked by police and nothing has been found so far.” An FIR has been filed against the unknown sender under the IPC and under the Information Technology Act.