A 47-year-old unemployed man from Mysuru, Karnataka, has been arrested for allegedly sending over 1,100 hoax bomb threats across India, as per News18. The hoax alerts were seen to be mainly targeting schools, high courts, and government offices, which created panic and large-scale disruption across the nation.
The accused was identified as Srinivas Louis by the police as per reports. The Delhi police ran a joint operation with the local teams, and Louis was arrested from his rented house in Karnataka’s Mysuru region.
Who is Srinivas Louis?
In recent weeks, several institutions, including the Delhi High Court, the Assembly, and multiple educational and government establishments, have reportedly received bomb threats, which created widespread tensions across the country, alarming the implementation of security measures.
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As per reports from News18, an officer said, “These threats had led to heightened security measures, evacuations, and disruption of normal functioning at several institutions. In one such instance, a judge of the Delhi High Court had also lodged a formal complaint after receiving a threat email."
Louis, currently unemployed despite being a postgraduate, was a native of Bangalore and was living with his mother, who is a retired government employee. Police said initial findings suggest he may be suffering from mental distress.
“He deliberately targeted prominent institutions, including courts and educational establishments, to maximise panic," an officer said, as per reports. During the investigation, police identified the suspect and a team to Mysuru to arrest him, after receiving a tip-off. Louis is now being brought to Delhi for further questioning.
Police investigate with all evidences and get the confession
The accused allegedly confessed to sending over 1,100 threat messages across the country during investigation in the preliminary stage. Police said the messages were sent through emails and other communication channels, leading to multiple FIRs being registered in different states.
A laptop and several SIM cards were also reportedly recovered from his possession. Officials said digital evidence is being examined to trace the full extent of the messages.
What might be Louis’s motive?
“The exact motive will be ascertained after he reaches Delhi and a detailed interrogation takes place," an officer said as per reports.
However, in the initial investigation, the police implied that Louis might be suffering from mental distress, which could have been the case, considering unemployment at the age of 47 in spite of being a postgraduate. The accused was produced before a local court in Mysuru and taken into custody.
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Police are now reportedly working to identify all locations that received the threats and are coordinating with agencies across states. Officials are also checking for any accomplices or if he was working alone.
