Maharashtra man, who wrote about terrorism, arrested for hoax threats to airlines

Police have arrested Jagdish Uikey, a 35-year-old writer from Maharashtra’s Nagpur, for allegedly sending over 100 hoax bomb threats to airlines, the Prime Minister’s Office and top government officials, through calls and emails. Uikey, a resident of Gondia, was detained in Nagpur after arriving from Delhi. He was previously arrested in 2021 in a related case.
According to Nagpur Police DCP Lohit Matani, Uikey is known for writing a book on terrorism, available on Amazon. Police have seized his mobile phone and laptop, which were allegedly used to send the threatening messages. Police suspect that Uikey’s motivations were not linked to actual terrorism but were instead a publicity stunt aimed at gaining attention.
Starting in January, Uikey allegedly sent numerous emails claiming bombs were planted in various locations, warning of impending blasts. Between October 25 and October 30 alone, he is said to have threatened explosions at 30 locations across India. His emails included threats to major political leaders and government officials, such as Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Nagpur Police tracked Uikey through his IP address after his emails hinted at terror attacks and demanded meetings with officials to share “critical information” on security threats.
One of his emails threatened to hijack 31 flights from airlines like IndiGo, Vistara, SpiceJet, and Air India, claiming that six airports across India were on the radar of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group. The threatening emails prompted authorities to increase security measures and put the CISF on alert at all major airports.
Interestingly, Uikey coded his messages, using letters to represent locations: “M” for markets, “R” for railways, and “A” for airlines, making it more challenging for authorities to decipher his threats.
Uikey reportedly visited Delhi on October 28, where he entered the Prime Minister’s Office to dispatch certain documents. Police continue to interrogate him, although they have found no links to any terrorist organisation so far.
As of now, Uikey is in the custody of Nagpur’s cyber police, where he is said to be changing his story frequently. Sources revealed that his email to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis included a plea for a meeting within 24 hours, threatening a protest at Trikoni Maidan in Nagpur if his demand went unmet.
In the email to Fadnavis, Jagdish further said that if his demands were not met, he would begin a protest with five people at Trikoni Maidan, Dharampeth, Nagpur, from October 28. The locations he threatened to target included 5 markets, 5 bus stands, 6 airline companies, 6 airports, 5 temples, 5 trains, 5 railway stations, the President, the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Home Minister.