Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested a suspect from West Bengal in connection with a series of bomb threat emails sent to schools and lower courts across Gujarat in the name of Khalistan.

The arrest marks the first significant breakthrough in a case that has kept authorities in Gujarat on high alert for several months. The suspect, identified as Biswas, was apprehended during a joint operation by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch and the Cyber Crime Unit. Investigators used advanced technical surveillance to trace the origin of the threatening emails.

The accused was produced before a court on Tuesday for custodial interrogation. The court granted police remand until March 5 to enable detailed questioning and further investigation into the alleged conspiracy. Officials said the probe is ongoing to ascertain whether additional individuals were involved in sending the emails.

Timeline of Hoax Threats and Khalistani Rhetoric

The investigation has revealed a pattern of intimidation dating back to late 2025:

• December 17, 2025: Around 26 schools in Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s Lok Sabha constituency — including Zebar School, Zydus School, Agrasen Vidyalaya, and DAV International School — received bomb threats via email. The alerts prompted immediate evacuations and deployment of bomb detection and disposal squads.

• January 23, 2026: Days ahead of Republic Day, 15 more schools, including the Ahmedabad Army School, received emails warning that the Tricolour should not be hoisted and that children should be “saved.”

• February 16, 2026: The rhetoric escalated further when 40 schools in Ahmedabad and Vadodara were targeted with emails claiming that “Hindustan will be split” and “Gujarat will become Khalistan.”

Authorities are also verifying whether the arrested accused was responsible for similar threatening emails sent to the Gujarat High Court. Earlier, a woman identified as Reni Joshilda had been arrested in connection with related emails. Investigators are examining whether the same accused was behind previous messages that featured content resembling South Indian writing patterns.

Further interrogation of the accused is underway as agencies attempt to uncover the full extent of the network behind the coordinated email threats.

Cyber Warfare and Public Impact

Officials have described the threats as a form of “cyber warfare” or a “psychological attack” aimed at creating panic, disrupting educational institutions, and testing administrative Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). By targeting sensitive public institutions such as schools, courts, airports, and hospitals, the perpetrators sought to cause maximum disruption. Such threats trigger evacuations, delay operations, and inflict significant psychological distress on parents, students, and the broader public.