Jilted techie sent hoax bomb threats to 21 schools across India to frame ex-lover: Police

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A 30-year-old woman has been identified as the alleged perpetrator behind a series of bomb threat emails sent to more than 20 schools across multiple Indian states. The accused, an electrical engineering graduate, was recently transferred to Bengaluru for questioning in connection with the incidents.

Rene Joshilda, a Chennai native employed with Deloitte’s local branch, was arrested by the Ahmedabad cybercrime branch, according to a TOI report. The Bengaluru police took her into custody on a body warrant on October 28 and returned her to prison on October 31 after interrogation.

The investigation revealed that Joshilda orchestrated the threats in an elaborate attempt to frame a former romantic partner. Using a virtual private network (VPN) and the Gate Code application to procure virtual mobile numbers, she created multiple email IDs and approximately seven WhatsApp accounts. These digital assets were used to send threatening messages to schools in cities including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hyderabad  and Chennai during June.

Police sources indicate that Joshilda specifically targeted private schools within Bengaluru's central business district, Kalasipalya and North Bengaluru areas. One of the fabricated email addresses, ‘divijpprabhakaralaksmi@gmail.com’, was used to send a message threatening to kill the school principal, staff and children by detonating a bomb.

A senior officer was cited by TOI as confirming that her cyber trail was ultimately traced, leading to her initial arrest. Her laptop and mobile phone were seized as evidence by Ahmedabad police. While Joshilda had visited Bengaluru on a few occasions for office events, she was primarily based in Chennai.

Authorities state that the motive for the threats was personal. After a fallout, her former partner, Prabhakar, married another woman. Joshilda allegedly plotted to defame him and have him arrested, hoping this would cause his wife to leave him. She used the fake digital identities in his name to send the threatening emails.

With seven cases registered against her in Bengaluru alone and further cases in other states, the accused faces charges under the Information Technology Act and Section 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The cases in Bengaluru have been transferred to the assistant commissioner of police at the North CEN crime police station for further investigation.