Delhi High Court Orders Government to Complete SOP for Managing Bomb Threats in Schools.
The Delhi High Court has instructed the Delhi government to create and put into action a detailed action plan, which includes a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), to handle bomb threats and similar emergencies in schools. Justice Sanjeev Narula issued this directive while resolving a petition from Arpit Bhargava, who expressed worries about the government’s inability to ensure a safe environment for students amid ongoing bomb threats. Advocate Beenashaw N. Soni represented the petitioner, while Advocate Kamal Gupta represented the government. The Court highlighted the need for cooperation among all parties involved, such as law enforcement, school management, and local authorities, to ensure effective coordination. It ordered that these groups be consulted before finalizing the SOP.
The Respondents have already begun addressing these issues, as shown in the draft action plans, operating procedures, and status reports submitted. However, it is crucial that these actions are completed and put into practice quickly, rather than just remaining as ideas. The Respondents need to develop a strong strategy to tackle bomb threats and avert possible disasters, working together with all relevant parties and coordinating efforts among various agencies, including law enforcement, local authorities, and school administration representatives, the Court stated. The Court issued the following instructions to the Respondents:
1. Create a detailed action plan that includes a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling bomb threats and emergencies. The SOP should clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all involved parties, such as law enforcement, school officials, and local authorities, to ensure smooth coordination and execution.
2. The action plan, along with the SOP, will be completed by Respondents 1 and 2 after consulting with all relevant parties, including school representatives, law enforcement, local authorities, and other state departments.
3. The Petitioner, who has raised important concerns, can submit a detailed document with specific suggestions or identified gaps in the proposed measures. Respondents 1 and 2 will consider these suggestions when finalizing the action plan and SOP.
4. After completion, the action plan and SOP will be shared with all relevant parties.
5. To ensure effective implementation, the Respondents will hold regular training sessions for school staff, students, and other stakeholders.
6. A system for addressing grievances will be set up to handle concerns from affected parties and stakeholders. Feedback will be used to review and update the plan to meet new challenges.
While acknowledging the efforts of the Delhi government and police, including the submission of draft plans and SOPs, the Court emphasized the importance of timely execution. It noted that strategies to deal with bomb threats should be managed by the executive, but proactive steps are necessary to meet changing challenges. Therefore, the Court closed the petition.
Cause Title: Arpit Bhargava v. GNCTD Delhi [Neutral Citation No. 2024: DHC: 8903]
Appearance:
Petitioner: Advocates Beenashaw N Soni, Arpit Bhargava, Hina Bhargava, Sania Yusuf, Sarthak Sharma, Pankaj
Respondent: Advocates Kamal Gupta, Sparsh Aggarwal, Yosha Dutt, Rashi Agarwal
