Three army officers killed in copter crash

Nagpur: Police in Maharashtra's Nagpur have identified 35-year-old Jagdish Uikey from Gondia as the man behind a series of hoax bomb threats that caused widespread panic, flight delays, and increased security at various establishments across the state, officials revealed.

Uikey, an author who wrote a book on terrorism and was previously arrested in 2021, is now on the run after police traced the recent hoax emails to him, confirmed a senior police official. The investigation, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shweta Khedkar, uncovered substantial evidence linking Uikey to the threatening emails.

These emails were sent to multiple government agencies, including the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Railway Minister, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, airline offices, the Director General of Police (DGP), and the Railway Protection Force (RPF). On October 21, Uikey even emailed Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, leading to heightened security at railway stations.

On Monday, the Nagpur police intensified security around Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis's residence after Uikey’s email threatened a protest unless he could present his findings on a secret terror code he claimed to have deciphered. He also requested a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss his information on terror threats.

In the 13 days leading up to October 26, Indian carriers received over 300 hoax bomb threats, with about 50 flights— including those of IndiGo and Air India— targeted on October 22 alone, sources said.

A special team has been deployed to locate and arrest Uikey, and authorities remain confident that he will be apprehended soon.

Kollam: The Chithara police on Sunday arrested 26-year-old Instagram influencer Mubeena, accusing her of stealing 17 sovereigns of gold ornaments from her sister-in-law’s residence. 

The complaint was filed by Muneera, who reported that her wedding chain (6 sovereigns) and a bangle (1 sovereign), along with other ornaments, were found missing in early October. Muneera alleged that Mubeena took the gold while the family was out of the house.

After reviewing CCTV footage, police identified Mubeena as the individual responsible for the theft on September 30. Though she initially denied involvement, Mubeena later confessed, citing a desire to fund a lavish lifestyle as her motive.

“During further questioning, Mubeena admitted to a prior incident of stealing gold from a friend’s house,” the police stated. She was taken into custody under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), signaling a more thorough investigation into her past activities.