NEW DELHI: The threat e-mail received by over 130 schools in Delhi-NCR, which brought security forces in the national capital to their toes on Wednesday morning, was sent using a Russian domain, police officials said.
According to official sources, the e-mail ID used to send the bomb threat was sawariim@mail.ru. The last two letters of an e-mail ID signifies domain name of the user, ie, the domain through which the mail is likely generated. The threat email was sent from an ID ending at .ru, signifying that email ID came from a Russian domain.
However, sources maintained that it was not necessary that the email originated from Russia. “The miscreants could have used a masked IP address,” sources pointed out.
Initial probe also suggests that all the schools received the threat email from a single IP address. “These kinds of emails are usually sent using a VPN connection to enable the sender to mask the original IP address. An investigation is underway,” a police official said.
Another trajectory of the probe indicates the usage of an Arabic word ‘Sawariim’ as the name of the website. Notably ‘Sawariim’, which means clashing of swords, has been often used by the terror organisation Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) since 2014 to spread propaganda.
However, officers maintained that it is highly unlikely that a terrorist organisation like ISIS could be behind the threat mails.
“Miscreants usually use names and styles associated with terror organisations like the ISIS so that their threat looks serious, and a greater sense of panic is created,” the source said, adding a multi-pronged investigation has been initiated by security forces to nab the culprits and reveal any underlying conspiracy.
The threat mail which was received by the numerous city schools as early as 5.30 in the morning, begins with a verse of a holy book, while the second line reads: THERE ARE MANY EXPLOSIVE DEVICES IN THE SCHOOL.
Senior police officials said the case was handed over to the Counter Intelligence Unit of the Delhi Police Special Cell which is specially equipped and trained to solve such cases.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of law for offences like conspiracy and threat by the Special Cell and a dedicated team formed to conduct the investigation, an official said. “The matter is related to national security. It needs a deeper probe,” the official said.
The timing of the incident, ahead of the Lok Sabha polling day in the national capital, is also a matter of concern for the cops, sources said.
Police have traced origin of threats: L-G
L-G VK Saxena said that Delhi Police has traced the origin of the bomb threat emails that were sent to multiple schools in Delhi-NCR on Wednesday, and assured that the culprits will be given strict punishment. Delhi was fully alert to prevent any untoward incident, he said during his visit to DAV school in Model Town area, adding that cops responded quickly to the bomb scare and began action after cordoning off and searching the premises with bomb disposal teams and dog squads.