Kolkata Police arrest youth for fake Al-Qaeda murder threat email against Bengal CM Adhikari
Synopsis
A Kolkata youth sent a fabricated Al-Qaeda assassination threat targeting newly sworn-in West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari — not out of political motive, but to frame a woman he had a personal grudge against. Police say he had previously sent similar hoax emails to the Election Commission of India, revealing a pattern of serial misuse of official channels.
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police arrested Hasnem Iqbal of Garden Reach on 16 May for sending a fake murder-threat email targeting West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari .
The email, received at Bhabanipur Police Station on 14 May , falsely claimed an Al-Qaeda -linked woman was planning a suicide-bomber assassination of the CM.
Iqbal confessed during interrogation that the email was fabricated to frame a woman with whom he had a personal dispute.
Police found Iqbal had a prior record of sending similar fake emails about political figures, including to the Election Commission of India (ECI) before the West Bengal elections.
Kolkata Police issued a public warning of strict legal action against anyone sending similar hoax communications, citing a 'no-compromise' policy on the CM's security.
Kolkata Police on Saturday, 16 May arrested a youth for sending a fabricated email to a police station threatening the murder of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, the state's ninth and newest CM. The accused, identified as Hasnem Iqbal, a resident of the Garden Reach area on the southern outskirts of Kolkata, was traced and detained with the assistance of officers from the Garden Reach Police Station.
The Fake Threat and What It Claimed
The threatening email arrived at Bhabanipur Police Station in South Kolkata on 14 May. Bhabanipur falls under the jurisdiction of CM Adhikari's current Assembly constituency of the same name. The email alleged that a woman linked to the global terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda was planning to assassinate the Chief Minister using a suicide bomber — a claim investigators subsequently found to be entirely fabricated.
How Police Tracked the Accused
Officers from the Bhabanipur Police Station launched an immediate investigation upon receiving the email. Digital tracking led them to Iqbal, who was subsequently arrested in coordination with the Garden Reach Police Station. During interrogation, Iqbal confessed to sending the email, according to a senior Kolkata Police official.
'The arrested youth had a personal enmity with the woman whose name was mentioned there. That is why he sent the email to the police station out of personal anger to frame her. The arrested person had confessed this during interrogation,' the city police official said.
A Pattern of Fake Emails to Authorities
Investigators found that this was not an isolated incident. Iqbal reportedly has a prior record of sending similar hoax emails targeting several political figures. Notably, he had also sent fabricated emails to the office of the Election Commission of India (ECI) ahead of the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections — suggesting a repeated pattern of misusing official complaint channels. This is, according to police, at least the second institution he targeted with false information.
Police Issue Strong Warning
Kolkata Police used the arrest to issue a firm public caution. 'We are also adopting a no-compromise policy regarding the Chief Minister's security,' the senior city police official said, adding that legal action would be taken against anyone sending similar fake communications in future.
Background: Adhikari's Political Rise
CM Suvendu Adhikari contested the West Bengal Assembly elections simultaneously from two constituencies — Bhabanipur in South Kolkata and Nandigram in East Midnapore district. At Bhabanipur, he defeated his predecessor Mamata Banerjee by a margin of over 15,000 votes. He subsequently chose to retain the Bhabanipur seat. The arrest of Iqbal underscores the heightened security sensitivity around the newly sworn-in Chief Minister, whose political ascent has already drawn significant public attention.
Point of View
Without apparent consequence, raises a harder question: why did it take a threat against a Chief Minister for the pattern to be caught? India's digital complaint channels need abuse-detection mechanisms, not just post-hoc arrests.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested for sending the fake murder threat email against West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari?
Hasnem Iqbal , a resident of the Garden Reach area in South Kolkata, was arrested by Kolkata Police on 16 May for sending the fabricated threat email. He confessed during interrogation that the email was meant to frame a woman with whom he had a personal dispute.
What did the fake email claim?
The email, sent to Bhabanipur Police Station on 14 May , falsely alleged that a woman connected to the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda was planning to assassinate Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari using a suicide bomber. Police confirmed after investigation that the claim was entirely fabricated.
Why did Hasnem Iqbal send the fake threat email?
According to Kolkata Police, Iqbal sent the email out of personal enmity with the woman he named in it, intending to frame her. He had no political motive; the threat was manufactured to settle a private grievance.
Did Iqbal send similar fake emails before?
Yes. Police found that Iqbal had a prior record of sending hoax emails targeting political figures. He had also sent fabricated emails to the Election Commission of India (ECI) before the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections.
What action has Kolkata Police announced following the arrest?
Kolkata Police issued a strong public warning of legal action against anyone sending similar fake communications in future. Officials stated they are adopting a 'no-compromise policy' regarding Chief Minister Adhikari's security.
