Delhi hoax calls linked to a student, family tied to NGO with political connections: Police

Delhi Police have revealed important findings in their investigation of fake bomb emails that were sent to more than 400 schools, creating significant panic among students and interrupting lessons. On Tuesday (January 14), Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Madhup Tewari disclosed that a child was pinpointed as the originator of these emails following thorough forensic and technical inquiries.

Authorities indicated that the investigation encountered difficulties because of VPN use, which concealed the source of the emails. “We performed a thorough inquiry, requested information from email service providers, and analyzed the family,” Tewari stated. The investigation uncovered that the child dispatched mass emails, including one case where messages were sent to 250 schools at once. Nonetheless, authorities believe a bigger conspiracy may be at play.

“The police official mentioned that due to the sophisticated technical methods employed, it appears improbable that the child acted solo.”

Authorities looking into the case are examining possible connections to an NGO tied to the child’s family, which has previously expressed disapproval of the execution of Afzal Guru, convicted for the 2001 Parliament attack.

The NGO is said to have connections to a political party, but officials are keeping the party’s name secret while the investigation continues. The reason for the emails is still uncertain, as numerous messages were dispatched on days without exams, casting doubt on a straightforward desire to delay them. The Delhi Police are currently investigating if the NGO or other organizations could have affected the child. “At this point, we cannot determine that the child acted independently.” “We are also examining whether there is a political connection or intention to disturb public order,” said Tewari.

The hoax emails, which began on February 12, 2024, continued sporadically until January 8, 2025. The breakthrough in the case came from forensic analysis of the child’s laptop, confirming over 400 emails. Police are also investigating the use of the dark web and other sophisticated tools in sending the emails.