Junagadh Cyber Police Investigate Fake Email Campaign Targeting University Vice-Chancellor
The Junagadh Cyber Police have officially registered a formal complaint concerning a disturbing series of allegedly defamatory and threatening emails. These communications, originating from a fraudulent email ID, were specifically directed at the Vice-Chancellor of Junagadh Agricultural University (JAU) and his son, raising serious concerns about cyber harassment targeting academic leadership.
Complaint Filed by University Registrar
According to the official police complaint, Yogeshkumar Ghelani, the Registrar of JAU, approached the cyber crime unit after the university administration received multiple emails. These emails contained accusations of irregularities in the university's recruitment processes. Ghelani detailed that the initial email in this campaign was received on the university's official email ID on December 7, 2022, at approximately 11:28 PM.
The emails, dispatched from an unidentified and unverified email address, reportedly contained false and completely unsubstantiated allegations against Vice-Chancellor Chovatiya and his son, Jay Chovatiya. University officials stated that despite explicit requests for the sender to provide concrete evidence supporting these serious claims, the individual behind the emails failed to submit any proof whatsoever, indicating a malicious intent rather than a genuine grievance.
Escalation and Threatening Content
The situation escalated significantly on October 2, 2025, when a particularly inflammatory email was allegedly circulated to a wide audience. This email was sent to the Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister of Gujarat, as well as to the Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of all four agricultural universities operating within the state. The content of this email reportedly employed highly derogatory language while referring to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Furthermore, it included explicit threats to forcibly remove Vice-Chancellor Chovatiya and his son from their official positions at Junagadh Agricultural University.
Police Investigation and Suspect Identification
During their preliminary investigation, the Junagadh Cyber Police conducted technical analyses and discovered that the fake email ID used in this campaign was allegedly created utilizing three specific mobile numbers. These numbers were registered in the name of Kinjal Bhandari, a resident of Junagadh city. Police authorities revealed that Bhandari had previously been employed as a temporary staff member at Junagadh Agricultural University but was later dismissed from his service position.
Investigators strongly suspect that deep-seated resentment and bitterness over his dismissal from the university may have been the primary motivating factor driving Bhandari to create the fraudulent email ID. The police theory suggests he then used this fake identity to systematically circulate threatening and defamatory emails with the clear intent to damage and tarnish the professional reputation of the university administration and its senior officials.
Legal Framework of the Complaint
The formal complaint has been registered under specific sections of Indian law to address the severity of the alleged offenses. The charges include Sections 351(4) and 345(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertain to criminal intimidation and defamation. Additionally, the case invokes Section 66C of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008, which deals specifically with the punishment for identity theft and the fraudulent use of electronic signatures, passwords, or other unique identification features. This legal action underscores the serious nature of cyber-enabled harassment and defamation in the digital age.
