THE latest round of hoax threats that the Indian judiciary has been receiving across the country is the clear continuation of psy-ops against India. In the last year and a half, schools and airlines have been receiving such hoax calls. Officials who are investigating these cases say that these are not one-off incidents, but a coordinated effort to scare the Indian people and keep them on tenterhooks. Intelligence agencies have been warning that this is an operation controlled by international players. It is a low-cost operation, but it can result in significant losses. For instance, when a school receives such a threat, in most cases, the agencies are aware that it is a hoax. However, protocol demands that the necessary checks have been carried out, and the school can reopen only when the green signal is given. With regard to the recent threats that the courts have been receiving, the agencies have learnt that it is a message that is being sent to the judiciary by some criminal elements. Officials do not rule out either the underworld or the Khalistani elements being behind this. In such cases, the criminal syndicates look to threaten the judiciary, which is trying cases against their members.

 

The same was observed when Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu received a spate of such cases around five years back. The probe found that a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda called the Base Movement was behind this. They were attempting to threaten and scare the judiciary to send out a message that the judges had been unfair to Abdul Madani, who was accused of being involved in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts. Hoax calls have been increasing in recent months. The year 2024 was a horrible one for the airline industry.

 

The hoax calls led to flights getting delayed or forced into an emergency landing. The year 2024 witnessed 79 hoax bomb calls, which led to the airlines facing losses worth crores of rupees. The agencies have learnt that there is a secret dark web group that is behind these calls. It is an organised racket aimed at spreading fear and also causing economic losses. The ISI too has a wing which is dedicated to psy-ops. This wing aims to spread panic through hoax calls, fake news and fake propaganda. For the ISI, this is a low-cost operation with no risk. They run this racket from various parts of the world. Without risking a live operation in India and with no need for an infiltration, the job of spreading panic and causing losses is done sitting at some remote place. Another official said that during their investigation, they have also found that sometimes the calls are made for personal reasons. People who are late to the airport often make such calls to delay the flight. 

 

 

PANIC spread at Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology, Management and Gramothan (SKIT) in Jagatpura, Jaipur, on Wednesday after the college received a bomb threat via email. Following the threat, the college administration immediately evacuated students and staff from the campus as a precautionary measure. Police, fire brigade teams, and the bomb disposal squad rushed to the spot and launched a full-scale search operation across the campus. According to officials, the email claimed that explosive devices had been planted on the college premises and threatened a blast at a specific time. As a safety measure, all buildings and sensitive areas of the campus are being thoroughly checked. Police officials said that no suspicious object has been confirmed so far, but the search operation is ongoing to ensure complete safety.

 

The police cyber team is tracing the origin and location of the threatening email. Authorities suspect that the threat may be a hoax, as similar fake bomb threats have been sent to educational institutions in the past. However, security agencies are treating the incident seriously and following all safety protocols. After the threat message, students and staff gathered near the college gate as the administration ensured their safe evacuation. Officials stated that the situation is under control and further updates will be issued after the search operation is completed. Strict action will be taken against those responsible if the threat is found to be fake. On Tuesday, the Rajasthan High Court also received bomb threat.