Bengaluru: The woman who had been creating widespread panic by sending bomb threat emails to several private schools in the city over the past few months has finally been arrested by the police.
The accused, identified as Rene Joshilda, an employee of a Tamil Nadu-based software company, had allegedly sent these hoax bomb threats in the name of her former lover to defame him after he married another woman. Her actions not only caused fear and disruption across Bengaluru but also triggered multiple investigations spanning several states.
During interrogation, police revealed that Rene was responsible for sending multiple bomb threat emails to schools and other institutions across Bengaluru and different parts of the country. She had earlier been arrested by the Gujarat Police in connection with a hoax bomb threat at Ahmedabad Airport.
Subsequently, the North Division Cyber Crime Police in Bengaluru obtained her custody on a body warrant from Ahmedabad City Jail. Upon questioning, she reportedly confessed to sending bomb threats to seven private schools in the city.
According to officials, Rene’s motive stemmed from a failed romantic relationship. In 2022, Rene and Divij Prabhakaran worked together at a software company in Chennai. Before that, she had a short stint at the Bengaluru branch of the same firm. Their friendship deepened over time, but in 2023, Divij married another woman.
Heartbroken and angry, Rene tried to persuade him to return to her but failed. Believing that tarnishing his reputation would drive his wife away, she allegedly decided to defame him by sending bomb threat emails in his name. Police sources said Rene hoped that once Divij’s wife left him, he would return to her.
Investigators found that Rene had used an app called ‘Get Code’, downloaded from the Google Play Store, to obtain virtual mobile numbers via a VPN. She then created six to seven WhatsApp accounts and collected email addresses of private schools, airports, and government offices through online searches.
Using these addresses, she sent multiple hoax bomb threat emails under the name of her ex-lover, divijipprabhakarlakshmi@gmail.com .
Since 2024, 29 cases related to similar hoax threats have been registered in Bengaluru. Of these, seven cases from Subramanya Nagar, Cubbon Park, Kumbalgodu, Ashoknagar, Govindapura, and Pulikeshi Nagar police stations have now been solved. Investigations into the remaining cases are ongoing.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh had formed a special investigation team led by Cyber Crime ACP N Pawan, under the guidance of North Division DCP BS Nemagouda, to crack the bomb threat cases.
During the investigation, ACP Pawan’s team found striking similarities between the emails sent to Bengaluru schools and those linked to the Ahmedabad Airport threat. The Gujarat Police later traced Rene through technical evidence, including the IP address used in the messages. After her arrest and further interrogation, her involvement in the Bengaluru cases came to light.
According to police sources, Rene’s obsession with Divij led her to consult astrologers in Chennai in an attempt to stop his marriage. Shockingly, one astrologer allegedly advised her to tarnish Divij’s image to win him back.
“You will get the man you like, but you must ruin his reputation as a married man. Spread rumours that his character is questionable so that his wife leaves him. Hurt and abandoned, he will return to you,” the astrologer allegedly told her, according to sources.
Despite knowing that Divij had no romantic interest in her, Rene reportedly followed this misguided advice. She began spreading false rumours about him being a rapist and a womaniser before resorting to sending bomb threats in his name.
Her actions have now landed her behind bars, with multiple police departments continuing to investigate her digital trail and criminal intent.
