The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) apprehended two individuals, Tahar Singh and Om Prakash Mishra from Gonda, in connection with a bomb threat targeting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the impending inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The threats also extended to STF Additional Director-General of Police Amitabh Yash and Devendra Tiwari.
The accused, using the handle '@iDevendraOffice' on 'X' in November, posted threats against Adityanath, STF chief Amitabh Yash, and the Ram temple.
Initial investigation traced the threat posts to email IDs 'alamansarikhan608@gmail.com' and 'zubairkhanisi199@gmail.com.'
Technical analysis led to the arrest of Singh and Mishra, who employed a Vivo T-2 mobile phone and a Samsung Galaxy A-3 to create the threatening email IDs. The culprits also used a Wi-Fi router and a DVR of CCTV cameras at the location of the threat.
The police revealed that Zubair Khan, claiming affiliation with Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI, orchestrated the threatening emails. Under STF Deputy Superintendent of Police Pramesh Kumar Shukla's supervision, a search operation ensued, leading to the revelation that Singh and Mishra acted on instructions from Devendra Tiwari.
Tiwari, associated with NGOs named Bharatiya Kisan Manch and Bharatiya Gau Seva Parishad, allegedly directed them to create fake email IDs and send threats to gain media attention and political leverage.
Singh, responsible for social media, and Mishra, Tiwari's personal secretary pursuing a diploma in optometry, were employed at Tiwari's college – the Indian Institute of Paramedical Sciences.
The accused confessed that after sending the emails, Tiwari instructed them to destroy the mobile phones used and utilized the office Wi-Fi for internet access during the act.
