Nagpur: Nagpur police have apprehended a 35-year-old man from Gondia, identified as Jagdish Uikey, for allegedly issuing multiple hoax bomb threats to Indian airline flights this month, causing widespread panic, flight delays, and heightened security measures at airports and other establishments across the country.

According to police sources, Uikey is the author of a book on terrorism and had been arrested in a 2021 case before evading authorities. The Nagpur police’s special branch launched an investigation and intensified efforts to locate him after the recent threats.

The security around Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s residence in Nagpur was enhanced on Monday after Uikey allegedly sent an email to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the state director general of police (DGP), claiming he had “deciphered a secret terror code” that could predict future bombings. In the email, he expressed his desire to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Fadnavis to discuss this alleged code, threatening to protest if not given the opportunity to share his findings.

Uikey reportedly extended his threats to the offices of airlines, the Railway Minister, and the Railway Protection Force (RPF). An October 21 email to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, later forwarded to the DGP and RPF, triggered tightened security at railway stations as well.

This month, over 300 flights operated by Indian carriers have received hoax bomb threats, with most of the threats issued via social media, according to government agencies. Authorities are continuing to investigate the case to determine if Uikey acted alone or in coordination with others.