Lucknow: Multiple bomb threat emails targeting schools, hotels, and government offices in Lucknow have once again triggered widespread concern, with cases registered across at least half a dozen police stations in the city. This recurring pattern of threats began a year ago and continues to challenge law enforcement agencies, despite repeated investigations and high-tech efforts.
The alarming trend of threatening emails started on May 1, 2024, when Amity International School in Vrindavan Yojana Sector-8 received an email warning of an impending bomb attack. Just days later, on May 12, a similar threat was sent to the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Amausi. The following day, May 13, over a dozen educational institutions in Lucknow received bomb threat emails directed at principals and school administrations. These included Captain Manoj Pandey UP Sainik School in Sarojininagar, Pioneer Montessori in Jankipuram, GD Goenka School in Sushant Golf City, Lucknow Public School’s PGI and Alambagh branches, Jagran Public School in Vibhutikhand, St. Mary’s School in Gomtinagar, and Vibgyor High School. Swift response from police and bomb disposal squads led to intensive searches of school premises, but no explosives were found.
Four months later, on October 27, the pattern escalated with threats targeting luxury hotels in the city and an aircraft. The emails, which demanded a ransom of $55,000, were sent to prominent hotels including Hotel Fortune, Hotel Lemon Tree, Marriott, Saraca Hotel, Piccadilly, Comfort Vista, Casa Hotel, Dayal Gateway, Clarks Avadh, and Hotel Silvat. On the same day, a bomb threat was received concerning an Akasa Airlines flight carrying 173 passengers. The aircraft was grounded, thoroughly inspected, and cleared for takeoff only after extensive checks.
Subsequent investigations traced one of the emails to a 12-year-old girl from Pune. During interrogation, the child revealed that the content and details were supplied by a Spanish boy she had connected with via a decoding app during online gaming. Acting on his instructions, she sent the email using her personal ID. Security agencies were able to trace the Spanish user’s digital identity, though no concrete link to any larger conspiracy has yet been established.
The investigation revealed that the online game was conducted in group format, involving 8 to 10 users. Tasks were assigned to participants, one of which involved sending threatening emails. Authorities continue to probe whether the act was a mere cyber prank or part of a more sinister plot. Despite a year of intensive efforts, conclusive evidence regarding terrorist affiliations has not surfaced.
Adding to the concern, a recent bomb threat email sent to the Directorate of Women and Child Welfare on Monday at 4:18 AM referenced past national tragedies, including the Pahalgam incident and the helicopter crash that killed General Bipin Rawat. The email, addressed to the district collector and sent from an account claiming to represent “Madras Tigers,” warned that four RDX-based IEDs had been planted in the office and were set to detonate at precisely 1:13 PM. The email demanded immediate evacuation and began with the phrase “Pakistan Zindabad.” It also referenced sensitive Tamil Nadu intelligence files allegedly leaked to foreign spies and mentioned a honey-trap involving DMK MP S. Murasoli.
While no explosives have been found in any of the incidents so far, the threats have significantly strained local security forces and instilled fear across various sectors. Authorities continue to treat each threat seriously, with ongoing efforts to identify the sources and determine the intent behind these alarming messages.
