Nagpur Court Bomb Threat: Tor Email Used to Mask Identity, Says Fadnavis
Nagpur: An unknown sender threatened to bomb the Nagpur district and sessions court via email in December 2025, with cyber investigation revealing the suspect used the Tor email service and two-factor authentication to mask their identity and location, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Wednesday.
Technical Details of the Threat
The email was received on the official email ID of the principal district and sessions judge on December 18, 2025. Tor (The Onion Router) routes internet traffic through multiple random servers worldwide, making the sender's location extremely difficult to trace. When creating the anonymous email account used to send the threat, the suspect routed the connection through Tor, making it appear to originate from a different country.
Upon receiving the threat, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad and a dog squad immediately searched the court premises. No explosives were found, and the threat was declared a hoax.
Police Response and Legal Action
Fadnavis stated that a non-cognisable offence was registered at Sadar police station in Nagpur on the same day under section 351(4), with NCR No. 0987/2025. Separately, the Mumbai High Court and Bandra's Killa Court received bomb threat emails on the same day, leading to two NCRs at Azad Maidan police station. Preliminary technical investigation traced those emails to Ireland.
Multiple lower courts in Mumbai, including those at Bandra, Andheri, and Esplanade, received simultaneous threats, causing temporary suspension of proceedings. Earlier in December 2025, the Bombay High Court Nagpur bench received a threatening email from an account identified as ‘Madras Tiger’. However, no complaints about bomb threats to courts in Ahilyanagar or Nashik were received in December 2025, Fadnavis added.
Cyber Investigation and Security Measures
On receipt of any threat, cyber cells conduct thorough technical analysis of the email IDs and mobile numbers involved. Adequate police manpower is deployed at courts and other sensitive locations to ensure security and prevent any potential incidents.
The question regarding these threats was raised in the Legislative Council by members including Pravin Darekar, Prasad Lad, and Niranjan Davkhare, highlighting concerns over the security of judicial institutions in Maharashtra.
