Bengaluru faced another alarming wave of bomb threat emails this week, targeting both Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) and several private schools, though all were ultimately declared hoaxes, The Indian Express reported.
On June 13, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), responsible for airport security, received a chilling email from the ID chitrakalas_gopalan@outlook.com. The sender, claiming to be from a group called “Madras Tigers,” threatened that “human IEDs,” pipe bombs, and explosive projectiles had been placed near the airport’s fuselage and prayer rooms.
The airport promptly launched a full-scale search operation. However, no suspicious items were found, and the threat was declared false. An FIR has been registered at the BIAL police station, and a cyber investigation is underway to trace the source of the message.
Just days before, multiple schools across Bengaluru — including areas under the jurisdiction of Kumbalgod, RR Nagar, and Kalasipalya police — received similar email threats, triggering panic among students, staff, and parents. Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh later confirmed all were hoaxes.
Authorities suspect a coordinated campaign, as the content of the emails mirrors earlier threats sent to schools in Hassan, Udupi, and even outside Karnataka. Cyber teams are analyzing patterns and origins.
Fake bomb threats are not new to the state. Between 2022 and 2024, Karnataka logged at least 169 hoax alerts — 133 from Bengaluru alone. While 10 arrests were made, few cases have seen legal closure.
In one bizarre case, a student sent a bomb threat to skip a seminar.
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