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    Chennai techie held for making 21 bomb threats across 12 states as part of revenge plot
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    Joshlida, a robotics engineering graduate employed at a reputed IT firm, allegedly leveraged her technical expertise to get her former colleague into trouble

    Chennai techie held for 'making 21 bomb threats' to seek revenge on her ex-colleague

    René Joshlida was arrested for allegedly trying to frame her former colleague Divij Prabhakar using fake emails and dark web tools

    Mahalingam Ponnusamy
    25 Jun 2025 3:23 PM IST  (Updated:2025-06-25 10:04:10)

    In a chilling case of vengeance driven by unrequited love, René Joshlida (28 years), an IT professional from Chennai, has been arrested for allegedly making 21 bomb threats across 12 Indian states, targeting schools, public events, and critical infrastructure.

    The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police, with support from multiple state cyber units and Chennai’s KK Nagar police, apprehended Joshlida after an investigation reportedly exposed her elaborate scheme to frame her former colleague, Divij Prabhakar.

    Hell hath no fury...

    The saga began in Bengaluru, when Joshlida, a robotics engineering graduate employed at a reputed IT firm, met Prabhakar, a fellow colleague, at an event. What started as a workplace acquaintance soon turned into a one-sided obsession for Joshlida. Despite her advances, Prabhakar rejected her and later married another woman, leaving Joshlida furious.

    The woman, who was allegedly scorned, leveraged her technical expertise to craft a sinister plan, aiming to entangle Prabhakar in a web of criminal accusations.

    Bomb threats

    From early June to June 20, 2025, a series of bomb threat emails, using Prabhakar's name, flooded authorities across 12 states, including Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.

    The threats, sent via fake email accounts created through VPNs and dark web platforms, targeted high-profile locations and events, including religious gatherings, visits by prominent leaders, and public venues like Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.

    One email audaciously claimed responsibility for a fictitious Air India plane crash that “killed 270 people,” while others warned of explosives buried at targeted sites.
    A notable incident involved Ahmedabad’s Divyajot School in Shilaj, which received multiple bomb threat emails over a weekend, eerily similar to a prior threat sent to Geneva Liberal School in the Sarkhej-Shantipura area. The emails referenced a Hyderabad sexual assault and dowry case, accusing local police of inaction and demanding justice.

    Investigation launched

    School authorities promptly alerted the police and education department, triggering extensive searches by bomb squads and law enforcement. No explosives were found, and the school resumed classes by Tuesday after reassuring parents.
    The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police has registered a case and launched a technical investigation, tracing the threatening emails to a device linked to Joshlida’s real email account in Chennai’s Saligramam. Her critical error—using her authentic email alongside fake ones on the same device—proved to be her undoing.

    A special team led by a female inspector from Gujarat, assisted by Chennai police, conducted searches at Joshlida’s residence and her father’s home in Kodambakkam. Both Joshlida and her father, Aldwin Joseph, were detained and flown to Gujarat for interrogation.

    During questioning, Joshlida confessed to masterminding the threats to implicate Prabhakar. Using her robotics engineering knowledge, she had created fake email IDs, some bearing Prabhakar’s name, to mislead authorities. The threats were strategically timed to coincide with significant events, amplifying public panic.
    Her use of VPNs and dark web tools aimed to mask her identity, but the slip-up with her real email exposed her to the cybercrime unit’s relentless pursuit.
    CybercrimeIT professionalsIT ActHoax bomb threat
    Mahalingam Ponnusamy
    About the AuthorMahalingam Ponnusamy
    Mahalingam Ponnusamy is Editor - Special Projects with The Federal.
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