AMRITSAR — A wave of panic swept through the city of Amritsar on Friday, February 27, 2026, after several prominent schools and the high-profile Shatabdi Express train received bomb threats via email. The threatening messages, which also included a death threat against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, explicitly mentioned seeking justice for the late Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This alarming development has prompted the Punjab Police to launch a massive security sweep across educational institutions and transportation hubs.
The threats were delivered through emails sent to multiple locations, including Delhi Public School (DPS) and the Meritorious School in Amritsar. Upon receiving the alerts, senior officials from the Amritsar Police immediately dispatched specialized teams to the Meritorious School to conduct an extensive search operation. Law enforcement officers met with the school administration to evaluate current security measures and issued a set of rigorous safety guidelines to ensure the protection of students and staff. While the police teams have since completed their initial search and returned to their stations, a high state of vigilance remains in effect throughout the district.
The inclusion of the Shatabdi Express in the threat has also led to increased security presence at the Amritsar Railway Station. Railway Protection Force (RPF) and local police are reportedly conducting thorough checks of passenger luggage and train carriages. The mention of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the correspondence has added a sensitive political dimension to the investigation, as authorities work to trace the digital origin of the emails. Government sources indicate that the threat against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is being taken with the utmost seriousness, leading to a review of his personal security detail.
As of Friday afternoon, no suspicious devices have been recovered, but the psychological impact on the community has been significant, with many parents rushing to schools to check on their children. The Amritsar Police have urged the public to remain calm but observant, requesting that any abandoned or suspicious objects be reported immediately. The cybercrime division has been tasked with identifying the perpetrators behind these coordinated threats, which appear designed to create maximum disruption in the border state.
