Chennai woman arrested for framing love interest with bomb threats
What's the story
A 30-year-old robotics engineer from Chennai has been arrested for allegedly sending hoax bomb threats to various public places, including Narendra Modi Stadium, a medical college, and various schools. The accused, Reni Joshilda, who is a senior consultant at Deloitte, has been arrested by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police. She allegedly sent these threats to implicate Divij Prabhakar, the man she loved but who did not love her back and had lately married someone else.
Revenge scheme
Threats timed around religious events or VIP visits
Joshilda allegedly sent at least 21 hoax bomb threats across 12 states. They include Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Bihar, Telangana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana. "Bomb successfully planted in Narendra Modi Stadium. Save the stadium if you can," one of her emails read. The threats were timed around religious events or VIP visits, causing panic and major security operations. One email referred to a recent Air India crash, while another warned of a bomb at the stadium.
Arrest details
Joshilda used dark web to send threats
Joshilda used the dark web to send these threats and created fake email IDs, including some in Prabhakar's name. However, a small digital slip-up led the police to trace the messages back to her in Chennai. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sharad Singhal said, "A tiny mistake exposed her digital footprint. With the help of our technical team, we tracked her location to Chennai." Joshilda was arrested at her residence, and her electronic devices were seized for further investigation.
Ongoing investigation
Police concerned about upcoming events
The police are now investigating whether Joshilda had any accomplices in sending these hoax threats. Cyber police units across the affected states are working together to see if she was involved in other similar threats. The case has also raised concerns ahead of major events like the Jagannath Rath Yatra scheduled in Ahmedabad on June 27.