A 50-year-old man has been arrested in Noida for allegedly sending a message to the Mumbai Police, threatening dozens of blasts to "kill 1 crore people" in the financial capital where Ganesh festival celebrations are underway.
One more person was also arrested for allegedly providing his SIM card to the accused to send the threat message to the Mumbai traffic police's WhatsApp helpline on Thursday.
The message claimed 14 Pakistani terrorists had entered the city with 400 kilograms of RDX that was planted in 34 vehicles. The text sent the police into a huddle as the metropolitan force was making security arrangements for Anant Chaturdashi, which marks the end of the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival with the immersion ritual, on Saturday.
Sources said the alleged sender was identified as Astrologer Ashwini Kumar, a resident of Patna. He had switched off his mobile phone and was arrested from Noida Sector 79 based on local intelligence, surveillance and CCTV footage obtained from a grocery shop. He was subsequently handed over to the Mumbai Police.
The arrest came after the Mumbai Police Joint Commissioner CP Rajiv Narayan Mishra, on the basis of information gathered during the course of interrogation, contacted Noida Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh for assistance in the case. Subsequently, a Special Weapons and Tactics team was formed to arrest the accused.
The Mumbai Police earlier said the sender mentioned the name of an organisation called 'Lashkar-e-Jihadi' in the threat message.
"Traffic police have received such bomb threat messages in the past. There is no need to panic. Security has been beefed up at key locations, and combing operations are underway. Mumbaikars are urged not to believe in rumours and report any suspicious activity," an officer said on Friday.
The sources said the Anti-Terrorism Squad was also informed about the threat message.
Prima facie, it seems a hoax, but police are investigating the source of the message with the help of technical analysis, the officer said. He also said the police are taking maximum precautions as there will be a high footfall on the roads on immersion day.
Following this, a case was registered at Worli police station against an unidentified person under section 351 (criminal intimidation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sub-sections 2,3, and 4.
More than 21,000 police personnel have been deployed in the city to maintain law and order during idol immersions. Lakhs of people are expected to come out on the streets on Saturday as the city bids adieu to Lord Ganesh by immersing idols in the sea, other water bodies, and artificial ponds.
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