Gujarat Police plans to question Google after uncovering a network that allegedly created and managed more than 500,000 fake Gmail accounts to send hoax bomb threats to government offices.
Police arrested two people while investigating the network, which they described as being involved in sending “inter-state” bomb threats. Investigators reportedly discovered 513,847 Gmail IDs and passwords that had been used since 2022.
The Gujarat investigation began after the state government received a bomb threat email on September 10, shortly before the recent BRICS summit in New Delhi.
Authorities are now examining how such a large number of email accounts could have been created and maintained for criminal activity. A police official said investigators would question Google about the safeguards and monitoring mechanisms associated with the accounts.
The case has raised concerns about the misuse of widely available online communication services for coordinated criminal activity.
India is one of Google’s largest user markets, and the company has previously faced scrutiny from Indian authorities over the misuse of its digital platforms. Investigators have also examined cases involving criminals allegedly using Google’s Firebase web development platform in financial scams.
The Gujarat case is expected to focus on how the fake accounts were created, how they were operated and whether existing safeguards could have detected suspicious activity earlier.
Police are continuing their investigation into the network and the alleged bomb threats. The findings could also prompt further discussions about how technology companies and law-enforcement agencies can respond to large-scale abuse of online services.

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