Hoax event in Punjab, Mohali area, India on Tue 17th February 2026

On February 17, Fortis Hospital and nearby schools in Mohali received bomb threats in the name of the Khalistan National Army (KNA), reports India TV News and The Print. The emails, sent via virtual private networks (VPNs) and the dark web, were designed to conceal the sender’s identity. Punjab Police placed security agencies on high alert as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was admitted to the hospital for treatment after readmission due to exhaustion. Similar threats in Mohali and Chandigarh had previously turned out to be hoaxes. Last week, 16 schools in Mohali received threat emails, but searches by around 300 police personnel found no suspicious items. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered, and the case has been handed to the Cyber Cell. Separately, schools in Ahmedabad also received threats referencing “turning India into Khalistan.”