India, Jan. 28 -- Panic gripped Chandigarh on Wednesday morning as over 15 schools received bomb threats via email, just two days after Republic Day, prompting the mass evacuation of students and a city-wide security sweep.

Chandigarh Police and bomb disposal squads were rushed to various campuses after the threatening communications, reportedly sent around 8am, were flagged by school administrations.

According to UT education department officials, the threat hit at least 10 government schools and five prominent private institutions, though the number is expected to rise as more schools report back.

While the specific wording of the emails varied, several school heads confirmed the senders claimed to be "Khalistani terrorists". High-pr...