Man who sent over 100 fake bomb threats to flights, PMO wanted to publish a book on ‘terrorism’

A serial hoax mailer, who was detained in Maharashtra’s Nagpur for sending nearly 100 emails targeting the prime minister’s office (PMO), top government officials, and various flights and trains across India intended to publish a book titled “Atankwad-Ek Tufaani Rakshash (Terrorism: A Demonic Storm),” The Times of India reported.

Jagdish Uikey, 35, from Gondia, a Maoist-affected district in Maharashtra, had emailed the PMO and other officials approximately 100 times since January, seeking endorsement for his book on terrorism, according to Nagpur DCP for cybercrime, Lohit Matani. Uikey requested support for his book and eventually began sending false alerts out of frustration.

“Prima facie, he seemed to be pursuing PMO and others to get his book published with repeated emails, but later he switched to sending hoax mails in frustration,” police commissioner Ravinder Singal told The TOI.

According to Nagpur’s additional CP, Sanjay Patil, Uikey’s book appears to be a basic compilation of terrorist theories readily available online.

What did Uikey write in his hoax mails?

The police commissioner said the suspect had been questioned twice previously for sending inappropriate emails and for filing a complaint that alleged connections between job seekers and the PMO.

“Once, he was interrogated for sending objectionable emails, and on another occasion, he was questioned regarding his complaint about job aspirants being associated with the PMO. The crime branch conducted a thorough investigation, but no offence was registered,” Singal said.

In his recent emails, Uikey reportedly warned about “sleeper cell activities within India,” often aligning his threats with similar alerts from US sources.

The TOI report added that police are investigating the possibility that he may have borrowed language from these US warnings. Investigations into Uikey’s digital activities and communication patterns are ongoing, with police examining his devices and any cybercafé terminals he may have used to send the emails.

“We are scanning his call details records and laptops. His bank accounts and monetary trails are also being checked,” Singal said.

Authorities have flagged 354 emails in his Gmail account’s “sent” folder and have reportedly discovered a distinct pattern in Uikey’s email activity. This includes a recent email sent in October to Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in which he falsely claimed knowledge of a “secret terror code.”

Delhi Police’s special cell has joined the investigation, with officers on site in Nagpur to question Uikey. A Nagpur police special branch team led by DCP Shweta Khedkar rounded up Uikey at Nagpur railway station Thursday.

He is currently in police custody, with officials expected to extend his remand . Police have also planned to conduct psychological evaluations on Uikey to gain further insights into his actions and possible motivations.