The many faces of a ‘master of mischief’ who spread bomb threats pan India
An assistant professor from Mysuru in Karnataka, apparently with a degree in ‘Masters in Mischief’, sent over 1,100 hoax bomb threats across India, targeting schools, courts, and government offices, all because of a family land dispute. He thought he was too smart to be ever caught. His modus operandi were simple as he would mask the IP (Internet Protocol) of the device that he used to send these hoax bomb calls but the Special Cell of Delhi Police broke through his veil of secrecy and arrested him.
Srinivas Louis, described as tech-savvy, employed multiple methods to conceal his IP address, making it challenging for investigating agencies to trace the origins of the threatening emails, a senior police officer revealed. The accused was apprehended on Saturday from his rented accommodation in Brindavan Layout in Karnataka’s Mysuru following a series of coordinated investigations by the Delhi Police and other agencies. He lived with his mother, a retired government employee in Mysuru after moving from Bengaluru and appears to have acted alone, police say.
He had been frequently changing his name and residential address to evade detection, according to the probe. Investigators found that Louis would send batches of threatening emails in quick succession often targeting multiple institutions in a single day before shifting residences and adopting a new identity to avoid tracking. He primarily used mobile devices to dispatch the emails, which were written in both English and Kannada, and directed them at high courts, police establishments, and educational institutions in various states.A police official said Louis is a postgraduate who had qualified for the National Eligibility Test (NET). He previously worked as an assistant professor but was currently unemployed and living with his mother, a retired government employee in Mysuru.
During sustained interrogation, Louis disclosed that his actions were fuelled by anger over a family land dispute in which his father allegedly did not receive a rightful share. “This dissatisfaction with court proceedings is suspected to have driven him to repeatedly target judicial institutions with hoax threats,” a Delhi Police official added.
Alarmingly, the emails were not limited to India; Louis also sent threats to some cities in other countries, underscoring the wide geographical reach of his activities. Multiple states have now approached the Delhi Police seeking transit remand to interrogate the accused in connection with similar cases registered in their jurisdictions. Authorities are working to link various First Information Reports (FIRs) filed across the country based on hoax calls made by Louis.
He is currently in police custody. Delhi Police describe him as technically smart, he allegedly used VPNs, IP spoofing, fake email IDs (reports mention dozens), and possibly dark-web tools to hide his tracks. IP concealment is a powerful privacy tool used daily by millions for legitimate reasons. When combined with other techniques, SIM changes, frequent relocation, disposable accounts, it can make tracing very difficult.
His mobile phone and other electronic devices have been seized and sent for forensic examination. Police plan to take him back to Mysuru to recover additional digital evidence and devices allegedly used in the offences. Officers seized multiple mobile phones and electronic devices, which are now under forensic analysis.
“Further disclosures are expected following the forensic analysis, which may shed more light on the full extent of his activities and the techniques used to mask his digital footprint,” officials involved in the investigation said. The case has highlighted the growing challenge of tracing sophisticated cyber-enabled hoax threats that cause widespread panic and disrupt public institutions.
In the Srinivas Louis case, despite him using multiple concealment methods, coordinated investigation, device seizure coupled with forensic analysis eventually led to his arrest in Mysuru, said a police official involved in the investigation.
“Hoax bomb threats like these are taken extremely seriously by authorities, leading to massive deployment of police, bomb squads, and disruption of normal activities in schools and courts. This case highlights both the ease of sending anonymous digital threats and the challenges in tracing them quickly”, the police official added.
Delhi Police have emphasized that such acts waste public resources and create unnecessary fear. Further investigation is going as the police are checking for any accomplices, exact number of emails, and full digital footprint. Louis remains in custody, and more details could emerge in the coming days. It’s a stark reminder of how personal grievances can spill over into public harm.
