Mumbai: The city of Mumbai was gripped by fear and anxiety after the police received multiple bomb threats from unknown sources. The Mumbai Traffic Police Control Room received a WhatsApp message from an unidentified number, claiming that bombs have been planted at six locations across the city. The message did not specify the exact locations or the time of the blasts. The Mumbai Police and other security agencies swung into action and launched a massive search operation to trace the sender of the message and the possible explosives.
The traffic police also alerted the city police and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the crime branch. A case has been registered against the anonymous sender under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Explosive Substances Act. The police have also sought the help of the cyber cell and the telecom department to track the origin of the message. The police have also beefed up the security arrangements at all the vital installations and public places in the city. However, no suspicious objects or devices have been found so far.
This is not the first time that Mumbai has received such bomb threats in recent times. Earlier, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) office had also received an email from three persons, who demanded Rs 10 crore in exchange for not blowing up the building. The email claimed that 11 bombs had been placed inside the RBI premises. The Mumbai Crime Branch had arrested the three accused from Vadodara, Gujarat, and recovered a laptop and a mobile phone from them. The accused had confessed that they had sent the email as a prank.
Similarly, the Mumbai airport had also received an email from a person who demanded $1 million in Bitcoin to stop a blast at Terminal 2. The email had warned that if the ransom was not paid within 48 hours, the terminal would be bombed. The email had also threatened to issue another warning after 24 hours. The Mumbai Police had registered a case and initiated a probe into the matter. The police also increased the security at the airport and conducted a thorough check of the premises. However, no explosive material was found and the email was declared as a hoax.
