Bengaluru, Dec 1 (IANS) Panic gripped parents here after an email threat was received by more than 15 private schools in the state capital on Friday. Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayanand, however, called the threat a hoax.

He said that there was no need for the parents, students and teaching community to panic.

"The threats have turned out to be a hoax. The culprit will be caught soon.

"We did send bomb detection and disposal squads. The police have undertaken search operations," he stated.

Following the development tension prevailed in the premises of the schools. The threat was given on the official email ids of the schools and it came to light when the staff opened them in the morning.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar visited the premises of one of the schools in Bengaluru and got the information about the development from the police department.

"I observed the news on television and came to know that schools and institutions related to me also got bomb threat. One of the schools was located close to my house. Hence, I came out to inquire.

"They showed the threat mail. The investigation so far says it is fake threat. We need to be careful. Parents are concerned. The police are conducting investigations," Shivakumar stated.

The schools located in Basaveshwaranagar, Yelahanka, Sadashivanagar have been given the bomb threats and most of them are reputed and international schools.

Many schools sent back their children as parents rushed to the schools after coming to know about the development. Last year, a miscreant had sent a hoax bomb threat to 30 reputed schools in Bengaluru. The police had arrested a youth in this connection from Tamil Nadu.