The Curious Case of Hoax Bomb Threats: Why Government Struggles To Detect Them

The Taj Palace hotel in Delhi on Sept 13, 2025, received a bomb threat through mail, which stirred panic in the hotel premises. Police later declared the threat a hoax, adding that after an intensive search, nothing was found.

Earlier on Friday, the Delhi High Court also received a bomb threat, and later in the day, another bomb threat was sent to blow up the historic court building at the Bombay High Court. Both were later declared a hoax.

In August, a bomb threat email targeting the Delhi Chief Minister’s Secretariat and Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) was also sent, which was later declared a hoax. More than 50 other schools also received bomb threats via mail, but all were hoaxes.

According to several reports, a total of 728 threats were reported in 2024. And in 2025, 69 hoax bomb threats had been reported, especially by airlines. 
Even after a surge in hoax bomb threats, the government is struggling to curb the threats. 

Bomb threats cannot be taken lightly, especially when they are sent to airlines, schools and hotels. However, its frequency and impact can be minimised. For this, the Government has issued guidelines. Before analysing it, let us discuss the reasons why the government struggles to curb the threats.

1. Technology Barriers – Technology barriers are one of the major barriers to detecting threats because most threats are sent via emails, VPNs and encrypted routes,  which makes tracing the way difficult.
2. Foreign Source – Many servers used to send emails are outside India’s jurisdiction. It’s time-consuming to trace the location and to access data due to intergovernmental approval.
3. Government’s Approach Is Reactive, Not Preventive – As per the guidelines, the current approach to dealing with the bomb threats focuses on evacuations, searches, and verification, not deterrence.
4. Legal Challenges – According to data available, in 2024, only 13 people were arrested out of 728 airline bomb threat cases.
5. Lack of Public Awareness and Deterrence – Many threats originate from students or pranksters, who may not grasp the serious legal consequences.

Government’s Advisory To Curb Hoax Bomb Threats On Social Media

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued an advisory emphasising the responsibility of intermediaries, including social media platforms, to curb the spread of hoax bomb threats by the various airlines operating in India.

The Ministry has stressed that social media intermediaries must adhere to the IT Act, 2000, the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and these platforms are required to promptly remove unlawful content to maintain public order and security.

The Ministry has reiterated the following key responsibilities for intermediaries, including social media intermediaries.

1. Prompt Removal of Misinformation: Intermediaries, including social media intermediaries, must observe their due diligence obligations and disable or remove access to unlawful information, including hoax bomb threats, within strict timelines.
2. Reporting of Offences under Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023: Intermediaries must report activities or acts that threaten or are likely to threaten the unity, integrity, sovereignty, security, or economic security of India
3. Cooperation with Government Agencies: Social media intermediaries are required to provide relevant information and assistance to authorised government agencies within stipulated time frames (as soon as possible but not later than 72 hours) to aid in investigations or cybersecurity efforts.

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