Bomb hoaxes become latest Delhi flashpoint

A 17-year-old boy who allegedly sent bomb threats via email to 400 schools became the focal point of the Delhi assembly elections campaign on Tuesday after the police said his guardians were linked to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) with ties to a political party.

- Paras Singh

The allegation prompted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to blame the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and name chief minister Atishi and party chief Arvind Kejriwal; Delhi's ruling party quickly hit back, accusing the BJP of politicising the issue.

The developments came five days after the police picked up the Class 12 student from a prominent south Delhi school for allegedly sending multiple bomb threats via email to several schools across Delhi over the past few months. The boy was caught last Thursday from outside Delhi, questioned, and released after counselling.

But on Tuesday, police alleged that there was a larger conspiracy behind the emails. "We did background profiling of his family and found that the child's guardians work in an organisation where an NGO is active. This NGO has a deep connection to a political party. Preliminary probe of this NGO revealed that it is part of a civil society group that opposed the hanging of Afzal Guru's hanging and supported a political party on various issues," said special commissioner of police (law and order) Madhup Tiwari.

To be sure, the police didn't officially disclose the names of the organisation, NGO, civil society group or political party, didn't elaborate on the nature of the link, or offer any proof of the allegations. Tiwari's allegations also contradicted earlier police claims that the boy acted alone. But he raised questions on whether the NGÔ, which ostensibly backed a particular party, was behind the so-called conspiracy. One of the investigating officers clarified that the police found no links between the child and the NGO, and added that the exact motive was still not known.

"The influence of this NGO and its proximity to a political party raises critical questions about a possible larger conspiracy to create public unrest through disruptive tactics," Tiwari said.