Man arrested for sending threat email targeting Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari; mentions suicide bomb attack

KOLKATA: A man was arrested from Kolkata’s Garden Reach area for allegedly sending an email to police threatening a suicide bomb attack on West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari “with the help of terror outfit Al Qaeda,” a senior officer said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as 27-year-old Hasnain Iqbal, was arrested following a joint operation by the cyber cell and the Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police.



Additional CP-IV of Kolkata Police, V Solomon Nesakumar, said the threatening email was received by Bhowanipore Police Station around 10:15 am on May 14.

The email sender allegedly claimed that a suicide attack would be carried out on the chief minister with the help of Al Qaeda.

"The email was sent using the identity of a woman. After receiving a complaint, an investigation was immediately initiated by the cyber wing and the STF," Nesakumar told PTI.

Later offering more details he revealed the identity of the alleged suicide bomber woman and said that she is suspecting to be working with Al-Qaeda. "On 14th of this month around 10.15 am, an email was received by the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bhabanipur Police Station. In this email a person referred to a lady name Abida Ali, who was allegededly collaborating with Al Qaeda and was planning to attack the West Bengal Chief Minister as a as suicide bomber," he said.

During the probe, investigators traced the email trail to Hasnain Iqbal, a resident of Golam Abbas Lane in Garden Reach.

Police said the accused later admitted to sending the email during questioning.

"Preliminary investigation suggests that the woman in whose name the email was sent was known to the accused. We suspect that the intention was to harass or implicate her and her family," Nesakumar said.

Investigators also found that the accused had earlier allegedly sent emails to several government institutions, including the Election Commission, another police officer said.

Iqbal reportedly had advanced knowledge of information technology and was skilled in creating or masking IP addresses and using related technical tools, which he allegedly used while sending such emails. Police added that further investigation is underway.

(With agency inputs)