Woman held for allegedly sending over 200 hoax threat emails

A 41-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly sending more than 200 hoax threat emails to senior Government officials, institutions and other high-profile establishments across the country, police said on Wednesday.

Seema Lohumi, a resident of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, was traced and arrested on June 21 following a technical investigation into a series of threatening emails sent since February this year, they said.

According to the police, the emails contained false claims about bombs planted at prominent locations, allegations related to electronic voting machines (EVMs), corruption complaints and issues linked to the Aravalli region.

Police further said that the woman had been sending emails since June 9, targeting prominent people and institutions across the country.

"The inquiry primarily focused on the email account being used to send these communications. Technical investigation led to the identification of a mobile number linked to the account, which was kept under continuous surveillance," a senior police officer said.

The officer said the device remained switched off for long periods, making the investigation challenging.

After another threat email surfaced on June 18, investigators intensified their efforts. Technical surveillance later indicated the suspect was present near Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in central Delhi on June 21.

Acting on the inputs, police apprehended Lohumi outside the gurdwara, the officials said.

During questioning, it emerged that she had allegedly been sending the emails over a prolonged period. Verification with her family members revealed that she had been undergoing medical treatment, the police said.

Further investigation is underway to ascertain the motive behind the emails and whether any additional persons were involved, they added.