A 47-year-old man from Karnataka’s Mysore has been arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly sending over 1,100 hoax threat messages targeting schools, high courts and government offices across India. As per the police, the accused Srinivas Louis is likely suffering from mental distress and confessed to sending mails.
However, police said that the exact reason behind sending those messages will be ascertained after the accused is brought to Delhi and a detailed investigation takes place.
The arrest comes after Delhi police launched a coordinated operation along with local police teams. In recent weeks, the Delhi High Court, the Assembly, and multiple education and government institutes received bomb threats. Police officials said that these threats led to heightened security and the disruption of the functioning of institutions.
On Thursday, police arrested Srinivas Louis from his rented home in Karnataka, HT reported. Louis is a postgraduate and a native of Bengaluru, and is currently unemployed and living with his mother, who is a retired government employee.
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Police suggest mental distress
According to officials, the initial investigation suggests that the accused might be under mental distress.’ Officials also suggested that he deliberately targeted prominent institutions across the country to “maximise panic.”
During preliminary investigation, the accused allegedly confessed to sending over 1,100 threat messages. Police said that the messages were sent through emails and other communication channels.
The messages led to FIRs in different states, and the suspect was identified after an investigation, after which the team went to Mysore to arrest him.
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Police also recovered a laptop and multiple SIM cards from the accused during the search, a senior official said. Authorities are examining the full extent of the messages sent.
The accused was presented before a Mysuru court and later taken into custody. Officials added that authorities are working to identify all locations targeted by the threats and are coordinating with law enforcement agencies across multiple states.
