In a classic case of “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”, a 47-year-old unemployed man from Indian city of Mysuru in Karnataka sate has been arrested for allegedly sending over 1,100 hoax bomb threats across the country, Indian media reported on Monday.
The messages targeted schools, high courts, and government offices, creating widespread panic and disruption nationwide.
Delhi Police identified the accused as Srinivas Louis, who was apprehended from his rented house on Thursday last during a joint operation by Delhi Police and local teams.
Officials said several institutions, including the Delhi High Court, the Assembly, and multiple educational and government establishments, had received bomb threats in recent weeks.
“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,” an officer said.
Louis, a postgraduate and a native of Bengaluru, is currently unemployed and lives with his mother, 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.
During the investigation, police identified the suspect and, acting on a tip-off, sent a team to Mysuru to arrest him. He is now being brought to Delhi for further questioning.
During preliminary interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to sending over 1,100 threat messages across the country.
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 recovered from his possession. Officials said digital evidence is being examined to trace the full extent of the messages.
“The exact motive will be ascertained after he reaches Delhi and a detailed interrogation takes place,” an officer said.
The accused was produced before a local court in Mysuru and taken into custody. Police are now working to identify all locations that received the threats and are coordinating with agencies across states.
Officials are also checking whether he acted alone or had any accomplices.
According to reports, schools across the country received around 600 to 700 hoax bomb threats between March 2025 and March 2026.
Delhi-NCR alone accounted for over 500 such threats. The incidents peaked in September 2025, when more than 300 schools in Delhi received threats in a single day. Another spike was recorded in December 2025 with over 40 cases.
Other regions also reported cases, including more than 40 in Bengaluru, around 65 in Jaipur, over 6 in Mumbai, and more than 50 in areas such as Noida between January and February 2026.
As per reports, these anonymous emails and calls, often routed through overseas proxies, caused evacuations, searches and panic among parents and authorities nationwide.
