VARANASI: Police increased security at BHU, schools and the municipal corporation office after threatening emails were received on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, according to officials' accounts published on Thursday. Students and visitors around the BHU campus near Lanka, and people visiting the civic headquarters in Sigra, should follow security checks and instructions from the institution they plan to visit.

Parents should check messages issued directly by their child's school before changing a journey or attendance plan. The reports checked for this article describe additional security, rather than supplying a district wide closure order. A security alert should not be used as a substitute for an institution's own decision about classes, entry or opening hours.

Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal said security agencies were investigating the emails and that police stations had been alerted. His account also said Varanasi already maintained an alert posture, with additional vigilance directed after the messages. The sender's identity and the credibility of the claimed threat remain matters for investigation.

What officials have said about the response

The municipal corporation received a message through its official email account, according to its public relations office. Officials passed the information to police. Reports also described messages reaching institutional and administrative accounts, prompting police to collect the relevant details from the recipients.

At BHU, the response included additional security around Kendriya Vidyalaya and Central Hindu School. The university's chief proctor visited the Kendriya Vidyalaya and discussed arrangements with its principal, according to a report. Lanka police were informed about the school security concerns.

Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal informed senior police officials and Sigra police after the threat concerning the corporation, another report said. The civic office was among the premises where security was strengthened. This is a response to a reported message; it does not establish that an explosive device was present there.

The commissioner's account described the involvement of security agencies in examining the email. Police were seeking information about its source, including details associated with the account and its internet address. The material checked for this report does not establish an identified sender, a completed investigation or an arrest in this incident.

Reports also described increased vigilance around temples, ghats and the city's boundaries. Hotel, lodge and guest house operators were told to check the identity of people seeking accommodation. Visitors should be ready to follow the verification procedure at their accommodation and avoid relying on an informal assurance that a check can be skipped.

The chief proctor's school visit and the information sent to Lanka police concern campus security. Residents using other BHU services should obtain instructions from the department concerned; the reported response does not specify a single entry arrangement covering every university building.

What residents should do

Keep the response tied to the place you actually need to visit. For a school, use its principal's office or its established communication channel for attendance and entry instructions. For a university appointment or civic service, follow the directions of staff and security personnel at the premises.

Do not circulate a forwarded threat message as though it were an official warning or a confirmed prediction. Preserve relevant material for police if you are a recipient, and distinguish what the sender claims from what officials have verified. The named institutions' security response is the confirmed public development.

The Uttar Pradesh Police public website links residents to the emergency response service at 112 and provides a facility for locating a police station. If you witness an immediate danger, report the location and what you observed clearly. An emergency report should describe the actual observation, rather than repeat speculation about who might be responsible.

The department's standing public guidance for offices also calls for checking visitors' identity, keeping useful police contacts available and informing police about suspicious activity near premises. These are general precautions. They should be followed alongside any specific instructions given by the local security team during a check.

  • Confirm school arrangements through the school itself.
  • Follow entry checks at BHU and the municipal office.
  • Keep identification ready for accommodation verification.
  • Use 112 for an immediate emergency.
  • Leave the assessment of the email and its sender to investigators.

Keep separate notices separate

Local background on Annapurna temple's November darshan dates, Kashi Vishwanath booking arrangements and Varanasi hospital services concerns different visitor needs. Those reports are useful for planning, but each service's current instructions must be checked separately from this police investigation.