Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch and Surat Crime Branch arrested two men from Chennai for allegedly sending hoax emails threatening to blow up the Gujarat high court and Surat sessions court, police said on Monday.
The accused, Mahammad Asfaq, 28, and Rajesh alias Raj, 33, are both from Surat, police said.
According to police, the threat was sent to evade legal proceedings against Asfaq, who had a trial hearing at the Surat sessions court on September 5 but did not appear. The email was sent on the same day to disrupt the proceedings and avoid his appearance, police said.
The two were arrested in Chennai within 48 hours after the emails were sent. Police traced them through technical analysis, surveillance and human intelligence.
Two emails were sent on September 5 at 11.57am and 11.59am from a new email ID created under a false name. The mails threatened bomb attacks on the Gujarat high court and Surat sessions court.
Asfaq had earlier been jailed in an Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case and was released on parole. He allegedly failed to return to jail after his parole ended and was absconding for about nine months. Rajesh had earlier been lodged with him in Lajpore Jail, police said.
{{/usCountry}}Asfaq had earlier been jailed in an Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case and was released on parole. He allegedly failed to return to jail after his parole ended and was absconding for about nine months. Rajesh had earlier been lodged with him in Lajpore Jail, police said.
{{/usCountry}}The two travelled to Chennai in search of a cannabis supplier and allegedly planned the threat the said courts, police said.
Asfaq created the email ID while travelling by train from Mumbai to Chennai. In Chennai, they changed hotels and locations before the email was sent, police said.
Investigators said the accused used different email IDs, SIM cards registered in other persons’ names, multiple Wi-Fi networks and proxy or other technical means to conceal their identities and location. They also sent the email while travelling on a moving train.
A case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including section 351(3) (criminal intimidation involving threat to cause death or grievous hurt) and section 351(4) (criminal intimidation through anonymous communication), and section 66-C (identity theft) of the Information Technology Act.
Police records show Asfaq was earlier arrested in an NDPS case involving 512 grams of hybrid cannabis, while Rajesh was arrested in a case involving 100.260 grams of mephedrone.