In Bengaluru, a trio of opulent hotels encountered menacing bomb threats via electronic mail on Thursday, as relayed by PTI, referencing authoritative sources from law enforcement. Nonetheless, investigations swiftly unveiled the falsity of these claims. Subsequently, a meticulous scouring of the premises ensued. This unsettling development unfolded against the backdrop of an earlier detonation of an improvised explosive device within the confines of the Rameshwaram Cafe on March 1st, resulting in injuries to nine individuals. Following this incident, a communiqué surfaced, transmitted via electronic mail to Karnataka’s Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, his deputy D K Shivakumar, alongside other governmental dignitaries, outlining a ransom demand of $2.5 million, as documented by The Indian Express.
The missive, ominously labeled ‘Explosion alert 02,’ stipulated dire consequences in the absence of compliance, threatening widespread detonations across buses, trains, temples, hotels, and public spaces across Karnataka. Referencing the opulent bus service operated by the Karnataka State Road Transportation Corporation, the communication articulated intentions to perpetrate further havoc, particularly targeting the forthcoming Ambari Utsav bus. Subsequent to this envisioned calamity, the extortionists vowed to amplify their demands via social media platforms, accompanied by screenshots of the correspondence for public scrutiny. A preliminary probe by law enforcement traced the origin of the email to the address ‘shahidkhan10786@protonmail.com,’ with suspicions of the perpetrator’s utilization of the Tor browser for anonymous browsing with a distinct IP address. This alarming recurrence evokes memories of a similar spate of threats that besieged 68 educational institutions in Bengaluru and its environs on December 1st of the preceding year. The modus operandi mirrored the present situation, with identical emails emanating from accounts registered with Beeble.com, an encrypted email service headquartered in Cyprus.
