‘Mails sent from Outlook, mention of RDX’: Cops suspect role of repeat offender behind bomb threats to Delhi, Bombay HCs

While the contents of the email sent to the Bombay High Court have not been revealed, investigators suspect that the same person is behind both, considering that the emails have been sent on the same day, an officer said. Both courts had to be evacuated following the threats, and searches were initiated on the premises by the bomb detection unit.

The officer added that the suspect has been sending threat emails in Mumbai and surrounding areas for the past few months, all of which have turned out to be hoaxes.

Security was deployed outside the Mumbai Court after it was evacuated due to a bomb threat. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirshekar)

Noting a pattern in the emails, the officer said, “The threat mail is always sent from an Outlook ID. It mentions some conspiracy theories regarding some South Indian politicians, actors, and bureaucrats, which is the case this time as well.”

The accused also mentions either RDX or an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), which is the case in the email sent to the Delhi High Court as well, the officer said. In all the instances, the suspect has used the dark web to create an email ID and used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to send these emails, due to which they have been unable to track down the person so far.

Crowd congregates outside the Mumbai Court after evacuation due to Bomb Threat. Security deployed in and around the HC. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)

The threats sent by the suspect include an email to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in July, which said that RDX had been placed inside a building. This email was signed by “Comrade Pinari Vijayan”, in an apparent reference to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Recently, a five-star hotel based in South Mumbai too received a similar threat. The suspect has also been linked to threat emails sent to schools in the western suburbs and to the Palghar district collector’s office.