Kullu police crack hoax bomb email case, suspect arrested

The Kullu police have uncovered a cybercrime operation involving issuing threatening emails that falsely claimed bombs have been planted in various parts of India. The investigation began after the Kullu Deputy Commissioner’s office received one such email on May 2.

Kullu SP Karthikeyan Gokulachandran, while addressing a press conference here today, said that the email had warned of bomb explosions within 24 hours in various parts of the district and claimed responsibility on behalf of the militant group, Hizbul Mujahideen.

The email, sent to the Kullu Deputy Commissioner's official account, prompted immediate action. The pPolice registered a case under relevant sections of the BNS and the Information Technology Act. Gokulachandran said that the sender’s email ID was highly complex and lacked identifiable information. A cyber cell team, led by SHO Nirmal and officers Suresh and Vijay, deployed advanced digital forensic tools to trace its origin.

The SP said that investigations revealed that the email was sent from Madikeri in Karnataka, using a stolen mobile phone. He added, “The mobile phone theft had already been reported to the local police and CCTV camera footage from the area provided a critical lead. With support from multiple state police departments, the suspect was eventually linked to Uttarakhand, where he was already facing charges in a 2022 case.”

The officer said that the suspect was identified as Nitin Sharma, alias Khalid, who had reportedly left New Delhi in 2015 following a family dispute. He added, “Nitin's criminal history includes multiple serious charges, including a murder case in 2019 and 2023, and dacoity in New Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.”

According to the police, Nitin exploited public Wi-Fi and personal hotspots in restaurants and public areas, often impersonating as an Army soldier. Between 2015 and 2025, he had allegedly sent numerous threatening emails in several states, triggering mass evacuations, shutdowns and causing significant financial losses to establishments such as malls and corporate offices.

The SP said that a further investigation revealed that Nitin became radicalised after a road accident and estrangement from his family. He reportedly adopted extremist ideologies at Mewat in Haryana, converted to Islam and changing his name to Khalid.

Police sources claim that Nitin was indoctrinated by associates of a cleric at present in judicial custody and was paid between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 for each threatening message.

The SP said that after months of surveillance, the Kullu police traced the accused to a restaurant at Hubbali in Karnataka in August. The Kullu police in coordination with the Hubbali police detained Nitin, aka Khalid, and sent him to Mysuru in a pending case. He added that Khalid’s electronic devices were undergoing a forensic analysis.

Meanwhile, the SP said that the police suspected that Nitin may have accomplices, who used similar methods to send hoax emails. He added that Khalid was brought to Kullu on Monday for interrogation and further investigation.

The investigation was going on as the police work to uncover the full extent of Nitin's network, financial backers and motives. Officials emphasised the substantial financial and operational impact of his threats, which required large-scale deployment of security forces and temporary closures of public spaces.

The SP said that Central agencies may be involved in tracing Nitin’s connections and assessing his involvement in extremist and criminal activities.