At least ten hotels in Rajkot, Gujarat, received bomb threat emails on Saturday, which were later confirmed to be hoaxes, according to police reports. The threats led to extensive searches by law enforcement and bomb disposal teams, with no suspicious items found.
Threat Details and Police Response
The emails were received around 12:45 PM from an individual identifying himself as “Kan Den.” The sender claimed to have planted bombs in the hotels, threatening that they would detonate in a few hours. The alarming message stated, “I placed bombs in every location of your hotel. The bombs will go off in a few hours. Many innocent lives will be lost today. Hurry up and evacuate the hotel,” prompting immediate action from local authorities.
Inspector SM Jadeja of the Special Operations Group (SOG) confirmed that police and bomb squads conducted thorough searches of the hotels. After nearly five hours of investigation, they reported finding no suspicious items. Inspector Jadeja added that an investigation is ongoing to track down the sender of the emails.
Context of Increasing Hoax Threats
The incident in Rajkot is part of a broader trend, as over 275 flights operated by Indian airlines have received hoax bomb threats in the past 12 days, primarily via social media. Just on Friday, more than 25 domestic and international flights were targeted. Although all flights landed safely, these threats caused significant disruptions, leading to the diversion of some international flights to Canada and Germany, and prompting fighter jets to escort planes in the airspace of Britain and Singapore.
Government Action on Social Media Platforms
In response to the surge in hoax threats, the IT Ministry has urged social media platforms to ensure due diligence in monitoring and removing misinformation swiftly, in accordance with IT regulations. The government has emphasized that social media intermediaries bear a responsibility under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) to report offenses involving threats to India’s unity, integrity, or security.
In an advisory, the government reminded these platforms that they must provide relevant information to assist investigative agencies within a maximum of 72 hours. This measure aims to facilitate prompt investigations into the sources of such threats and maintain public safety.