Bengaluru police probe hoax email threatening blasts at airport, malls

Bengaluru: Police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation to trace the sender of a threat email sent to the city police commissioner’s official ID, “warning of explosions” at Kempegowda International Airport and several malls in the city, officials said on Tuesday.

The email, which was later found to be a ‘hoax bomb threat’, was sent at 11.53 am on November 30 by an individual identifying himself as Mohit Kumar through a Gmail account, to the commissioner’s official email ID, they said.

“This is a warning from the Jaish-e-Mohammed white collar terror team. We have targeted Kempegowda International Airport, Orion mall, Lulu mall, Forum south mall and Mantri square mall for bomb blasts from 7 pm onwards,” the FIR quoted the email as saying.

The FIR also noted that the email included a phone number and claimed the attacks could be prevented by calling the number and making a payment.

Based on the complaint, a case has been registered against an unknown person under Section 66F (cyber terrorism) of the Information Technology Act at the cyber crime police station, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.