The Otera Hotel Bomb Threat: Bomb Squad Dispatched

The Bengaluru police today (May 23) reported that three prominent hotels in the city received bomb threat emails, including The Oterra, as confirmed by the DCP South East Bengaluru.

Upon receiving the threats, bomb detection and disposal teams were promptly dispatched to the locations to ensure safety.

This incident follows a similar threat the previous day when North Block, home to the Ministry of Home Affairs, received a bomb threat email that was later determined to be a hoax.

In April, several schools across Delhi-NCR, Jaipur, Uttar Pradesh, and Bengaluru were also targeted with bomb threat emails, causing widespread panic. These threats were ultimately declared to be hoaxes.

The Delhi High Court has requested a comprehensive report on these incidents. In response, the Delhi Police submitted a report on May 17 detailing the deployment of five bomb disposal squads and 18 bomb detection teams throughout the city.

With 1,764 schools in the Central Range, 1,032 in the Eastern Range, 1,762 in the Western Range, and 76 in the New Delhi Range, petitioners have expressed concerns about the absence of a thorough action plan to manage such threats and ensure the safety of students.

To combat the rising threat of transnational organized cybercrimes originating from South East Asian nations like Cambodia, the government has established an inter-ministerial committee comprising law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Addressing the recent surge in bomb threat emails directed at schools, hospitals, and airports across India, Rajesh Kumar, the CEO of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), disclosed that these emails were sent using VPNs (virtual private networks). He added that investigative agencies are working in collaboration with several countries to identify the individuals behind these threats.