The Delhi High Court, while hearing a plea related to a hoax bomb call incident in private schools in the national capital, has sought a report from both the Delhi Police and the Delhi government within ten days.
Reports on Safety Measures
The report should detail the measures taken to ensure the safe evacuation of children from schools during bomb scares. Justice Subramonium Prasad’s bench fixed the matter for May 16, 2024, and also asked for information on the number of mock drills conducted in schools to facilitate children’s evacuation without causing panic.
The court noted that the available machinery for dealing with such situations is alarmingly inadequate, considering the submissions made by both the Petitioner and the Respondents. Additionally, it observed a rise in the number of bomb scares/threats recently, with no substantial preventive measures being implemented to address them. Recognizing the need for special protocols in certain institutions like schools or hospitals to ensure safety, the court inquired about the specific steps taken to handle such problems in schools.
The Court directed the respondents to submit an affidavit detailing the number of schools in Delhi, the police response time in case of a bomb threat, and whether bomb safety drills were being conducted in schools, and if so, who supervised them.
During the hearing, an official from the Department of Education stated that schools are already required to conduct safety drills quarterly, which is ensured through the submission of Action Taken Reports (ATRs) by the schools.
Petitioner
The petition, filed last year by advocate Arpit Bhargav, whose child attends Delhi Public School, seeks direction for the formulation and timely implementation of an action plan due to past bomb threat incidents in schools.
The matter was listed for the filing of a reply by the GNCTD, failing which an officer not below the rank of joint secretary from the Department of Education was directed to appear in court.
No reply was filed on behalf of GNCTD. Advocate Beenashaw N. Soni represented the Petitioner, Advocate Arpit Bhargav, along with Advocates Sarthak Sharma, Pankaj Sehrawat, Abhishek Gaind, Mansi Jain, and Ann Joseph. The State was represented by Advocate Santosh Kumar Tripathi.
No Response
It was argued on behalf of the Petitioner that despite the urgency of the case, no concrete steps have been taken by the Respondents regarding bomb threats in schools, and even the High Court’s orders from May 23, 2024, have not been complied with.
Any bomb threat, whether hoax or real, creates panic and chaos for all stakeholders, including students, school staff, and concerned parents, who may have to leave their jobs abruptly to pick up their children from school. The lack of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for such situations results in coordination issues and delays in evacuation, potentially leading to catastrophic outcomes in the event of an actual bomb threat.
