Bomb threat suspect Srinivas Louis names two associates

New Delhi: Srinivas Louis, accused of sending hundreds of bomb threats to courts across India, has revealed the names of two individuals who allegedly helped him learn how to carry out the threats.

Police sources said both individuals are believed to be residents of Mysuru. “The two names are being verified by the team. He claimed that the duo assisted him in drafting emails and preparing their content,” the sources added.

During interrogation, Louis claimed he had a long-standing land dispute with a relative in Mysuru and that his family was not receiving their rightful share. Having dropped out of law school, he became increasingly frustrated and felt that justice was not being served. “He claimed that initially he was sending emails with fewer threats, and after observing that these caused little or no disruption, he escalated to using terms like ‘terrorism’ and ‘hacking’ to provoke greater alarm,” the source added.

Investigators are examining whether Louis used over 50 email IDs and accessed the dark web to conceal his identity while sending threats across the country. Many of the emails were reportedly sent directly from his mobile phone. Police said one of the email IDs, through which around 1,500 emails were sent, was registered in Louis’s name. He is also believed to have used another identity, ‘Rajendran’. Cops are tracing email accounts linked to that alias.

“We have recovered three phones from Louis’s possession and suspect that he may have used additional phones or a laptop,” the source added.

Sources further said that the last threat to the courts, sent on March 15, contained an accidental attachment, a photo from his phone. “Those emails were sent from his phone, but one of the attachments contained a recently clicked selfie of his, which provided an important lead and allowed us to start tracking him down,” the sources added.

The New Delhi district cyber cell team is currently with the accused in Mysuru, taking him to various locations, including his residence, to recover relevant items.

The accused had been frequently changing his location. He had stayed in Bengaluru for some time before moving to Mysuru. A police officer noted that the addresses listed in his identity documents were fabricated.