Over 1,100 threats in 4 months: Karnataka man behind hoax emails used tech tricks, fake IDs

NEW DELHI: Srinivas Louis, the man arrested in Mysuru on Saturday for allegedly sending hundreds of hoax bomb threat emails to several institutions, including courts, in Delhi-NCR and other parts of the country, allegedly used tech tricks like IP spoofing and used a VPN to conceal his identity and location.

Using a series of forged documents and following a strict technical discipline, the 47-year-old managed to send Delhi Police on a wild goose chase for weeks before they finally zeroed in on him.

Louis was brought to Delhi and remanded to six days of police custody. He is being interrogated to ascertain if he was part of a network engaged in causing mass disruptions.

Elaborating on his modus operandi that helped him stay under radar for a long time, a cop said the addresses listed in his identity-related documents were fabricated. When investigators traced one of the addresses, they found he had lived there nearly 20 years ago. “Current residents of the location were unaware of his whereabouts,” the cop added.

Police sources said that after a thorough analysis of his phone records, investigators were able to identify several contacts he had called up over an extended period of time. These included routine calls as well as calls to the 112 helpline, through which he lodged complaints against some of his neighbours with whom he had altercations over minor issues. By examining these records, the sleuths were able to trace patterns in his communications and narrow down their potential leads.

One of the numbers belongs to a neighbour of Louis in Mysuru, which eventually emerged as a key lead. The inquiry, which had been ongoing for nearly a month, involved a surveillance operation in the city in Karnataka. Throughout this period, the Delhi Police team was stationed there.

“With the help of technical surveillance, the team was able to narrow down the specific area and monitor the suspect’s day-to-day activities. Once his identity and movements were confirmed, a raid was conducted, leading to his arrest,” the sources said. Police seized several digital devices, including two mobile phones and other electronic gadgets, which were sent for digital forensics.

According to the sources, Louis allegedly sent threatening emails to several courts, including those in Delhi, J&K, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Indore. The emails carried subject lines related to terrorism and court hacks.

Louis, who holds a postgraduate degree but is unemployed, told cops he was frustrated with his condition. He is a law school dropout; this inability to complete his legal education increased his frustration, which ultimately led him to target the courts, the sources added.

A senior police officer said they plan to take him back to his residence in Karnataka to conduct further searches.