Delhi Police have uncovered key details while investigating hoax bomb emails sent to over 400 schools, which caused widespread alarm among students and disrupted classes. Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Madhup Tewari revealed on Tuesday (January 14) that a child was identified as the sender of these emails after extensive forensic and technical investigations.
Police said that the probe faced challenges due to the use of VPNs, which masked the origin of the emails.
"We conducted a deep investigation, sought data from email providers, and profiled the family," Tewari said. The probe revealed that the child sent mass emails, with one instance involving messages to 250 schools simultaneously.
However, police suspect the involvement of a larger conspiracy.
"Given the advanced technical methods used, it seems unlikely that the child acted alone," the police official added.
Officials investigating the case are exploring potential links to an NGO associated with the child’s family, which has previously voiced opposition to the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
The NGO is reportedly linked to a political party, but authorities are withholding the party's name as the investigation is ongoing. The motive behind the emails remains unclear, as many messages were sent on non-exam days, raising doubts about a simple intent to postpone exams.
The Delhi Police are now examining whether the NGO or other entities may have influenced the child. “We can’t conclude at this stage that the child acted alone. We are also investigating if there is a political link or intent to disrupt public order,” Tewari said.
The hoax emails, which began on February 12, 2024, continued sporadically until January 8, 2025. The breakthrough in the case came from forensic analysis of the child’s laptop, confirming over 400 emails. Police are also investigating the use of the dark web and other sophisticated tools in sending the emails.
