’Bomb threats’: All seven emails sent using VPN, one from India, say Himachal Police probe

Two FIRs have been registered in Mandi and Kullu districts in this connection.

Himachal Pradesh is among several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Kerala, Puducherry and Gujarat, which received similar email threats.

Police sources said, “Although the pattern and mode of sending all seven emails were similar, one of the emails was sent through a separate handle. All emails were sent via Virtual Private Network (VPN). Six were traced to a European country, but one originated from within India. That particular email, received on May 2, threatened to blow up multiple government offices, including the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Kullu. The probe agency, assisted by the State CID Cyber Cell, has also pinpointed the state from where that particular email was generated.”

“The structure and content of emails received in Himachal Pradesh closely matched those received in Kerala, Puducherry, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. Three of the seven emails included two common threats: one to assassinate AIADMK leader and Tamil Nadu’s leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), and the other, a claim that the sender was ‘Tahawwur Hussain Rana’, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai terror attacks, who was extradited from the US to India in April this year,” they said.

When contacted, DIG of the State CID Cyber Cell Mohit Chawla told The Indian Express, “All emails were treated seriously. Appropriate precautionary measures, including sanitisation of sensitive locations, were carried out. We have obtained strong leads, particularly in connection with one email. I cannot disclose further details due to the ongoing investigation. All emails were routed through VPNs, which mask the sender’s identity. More concerning than these threat emails are the ongoing cyber-attacks, targeting government websites and digital infrastructure, especially those related to police departments, during and post-Operation Sindoor (launched on May 7).”

A senior police officer said, “It’s not necessary to file a separate FIR for each email of a similar nature. Multiple complaints can be clubbed under a single FIR. We treated these emails as an opportunity to check our preparedness and alertness to deal with any urgent situation.”

Threat emails timeline:

April 15:
An email received at the office of Mandi DC claimed the planting of explosives at several government offices.

April 16:
An email was sent to Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, targeting the secretariat building, which also houses the Chief Minister’s Office.

April 25:
Two separate emails were received, threatening to blow up the offices of the DCs of Chamba and Hamirpur.

May 2:
An email was received, threatening to blow up the Kullu DC office.

May 26:
Another threat email received, targeting the Himachal Pradesh secretariat.

June 9:
An email warned of suicide bombers with IEDs targeting the high court.