Develop Comprehensive Action Plan To Address Bomb Threats: High Court To Delhi Govt

The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Government to develop a “comprehensive action plan” including a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for addressing bomb threats and related emergencies in the national capital.

Justice Sanjeev Narula directed that the SOP must clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, school management, and municipal authorities, ensuring “seamless coordination and implementation.”

The Court disposed of a plea seeking a detailed action plan to deal with bomb threats in the schools to ensure safety and security of children, teachers and staff in the national capital.

The plea was moved by Advocate Arpit Bhargava, contending that there is no action plan at present to deal with such incidents “which can cause havoc in anyone's family and can have a large impact.”

In the detailed order passed on November 14, Justice Narula directed the Delhi Government to finalize the action plan, encompassing the SOP, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including representatives from schools, law enforcement agencies, concerned municipal authorities, and other state departments.

“Once finalized, the action plan and SOP shall be disseminated among all concerned parties. To facilitate effective implementation, Respondents shall conduct regular training sessions for school staff, students, and other stakeholders,” the Court said.

It added that a “grievance redressal mechanism” shall be established to address concerns raised by affected parties and stakeholders.

“On the basis of feedback, reviews and updates to the plan should also be undertaken to adapt to evolving challenges,” the Court directed.

Justice Narula observed that the Delhi Government has already taken initial steps to address these concerns but it is imperative that such measures are finalized and implemented promptly, rather than remaining confined to a conceptual or deliberative stage.

“The Respondents must formulate an effective strategy to address bomb threats and prevent potential disasters, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders and through coordinated efforts between various agencies, including law enforcement, municipal authorities, and representative bodies of school administrations,” the Court said.

Furthermore, the Court said that the authorities must brace themselves to address the evolving challenges posed by bomb threats, particularly in the digital age, where anonymity emboldens perpetrators.

“Respondents No.1 and 2 must focus on deterrence by demonstrating that such acts will not go unpunished, thereby sending a clear message to potential offenders that their actions will have serious consequences. It would reinforce public confidence and dissuade others from engaging in such activities. However, the Court must reiterate that such operational strategies are best left to the wisdom of the executive, as directing such modalities falls outside the Court's remit,” the Court said.

The plea had sought preparation of the action plan to deal with “repeated incidents of bomb threats” in schools across Delhi. It also states that regular evacuation drill and other exercises must be undertaken for safety and security of children studying in schools.

Bhargava had relied upon an incident that happened in November last year where an email was received about a bomb in the Indian School which later turned out to be a hoax.

It was submitted that a mechanism needs to be in place to eliminate the chances of such incidents being repeated again.

Bhargava submitted that if the children studying in schools are under repeated and constant threat, it is the collective failure of one and all to provide a safe environment

“Urgent need of the hour is to address the issue (s) raised in the instant petition without any further delay and to have a detailed action plan formulated in regard to such incidents of bomb threats in schools and implement the same in a time bound manner with detailed Standard Operating Procedures to be followed for one and all including regular evacuation drills involving each and every parent and child, automatic intimation in case of emergency instead of manual calling, streamlining process outside schools to eliminate chance of chaos and such other improvements,” the plea adds.

Title: ARPIT BHARGAVA v. GNCTD & ANR. 

Citation: 2024 LiveLaw (Del) 1252

Click here to read order