Bomb threats target multiple hotels in Lucknow

Several hotels in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow received bomb threats on Sunday, reported Times Now. The affected establishments include Marriott, Fortune, and Lemon Tree. The threats, received via email, claimed that bombs were planted in black bags on these hotel grounds, as per the report.

The email sender, who also demanded a ransom of $55,000 (approximately Rs 4,624,288), warned that any attempt to defuse the bombs would result in detonation.

"Bombs are hidden in black bags on the grounds of your hotel. I want $55,000, or I will detonate the explosives and blood will spread everywhere. Any attempt at defusing the bombs WILL detonate them," reported Times Now quoting the sender's mail.

This incident follows a similar pattern as the previous day's events in Rajkot, Gujarat, where ten hotels received bomb threats that were later confirmed as hoaxes. The Rajkot threats were also made via email around 12:45 pm, prompting thorough searches by police and bomb disposal squads. The sender identified himself as Kan Den and claimed he had planted bombs in 10 hotels, set to detonate in a few hours.

Additionally, on the same day, around 33 flights received bomb threats. Over the last 13 days, more than 300 flights operated by Indian carriers have been targeted with hoax bomb threats, mostly issued through social media.

In response to these threats, the IT Ministry has urged social media platforms to act swiftly in removing misinformation, adhering to the IT rules' strict timelines.