Maharashtra: Airline, railway bomb hoaxer surrenders to police after national scare

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A 35-year-old man who was allegedly behind a series of hoax bomb threats to airports and railway stations across the country has been arrested after he presented himself before Nagpur police, a police officer said on Friday.

Jagdish Shriam Uikey, resident of Arjuni Morgaon in the Gondia district, arrived in Nagpur by flight after the city police sent him a notice seeking his presence for a probe, and surrendered on Thursday, he said.

In the 13 days leading up to October 26, more than 300 flights operated by Indian carriers received hoax bomb threats. Most were issued through social media. On October 22 alone, around 50 flights, including 13 each from IndiGo and Air India, received threats. Uikey operated from Delhi, the officer said.

An email allegedly sent by him to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and railway police authorities on October 21 had led to increased security measures at stations too.

In 2021, he allegedly made a phone call reporting a hoax bomb threat and was later arrested. After being released, he moved out of Arjuni Morgaon and told close friends that he had moved to Delhi, the officer said. The investigators, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Shweta Khedkar, zeroed in on him based on the emails he had sent to various establishments.

He has studied up to Std XI and written a book on terrorism titled ‘Aaatankwad - Ek Tufaani Rakshas'. A further probe is on, the officer said.

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