A bomb threat email targeting the Mumbai mayor’s office, actor Amitabh Bachchan’s residence and the venue of singer Diljit Dosanjh’s concert placed Mumbai Police and security agencies on high alert on Friday, while a search of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters found nothing suspicious, an official said.
The mayor’s office is located inside the BMC headquarters in south Mumbai. The email was sent to Mayor Ritu Tawde and also marked to Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi, according to police. It warned of a grenade attack on a school on October 31 and listed several Mumbai locations as potential targets.
The message also threatened Amitabh Bachchan’s Juhu residence, Jalsa, between October 31 and November 27. It claimed that an attack would take place during Diljit Dosanjh’s concert at Mahalaxmi Racecourse on November 27. The email referred to Khalistan, police said.
Following the alert, security personnel conducted a thorough search of the mayor’s office at the BMC headquarters. Officials said that no suspicious object was found during the search. Additional security and surveillance measures were subsequently put in place at the mayor’s office and other locations named in the email.
Police and other law enforcement agencies are investigating the message to determine whether the threat is credible, trace its origin and identify the sender. The response has also been extended to prominent educational institutions across Mumbai and other places mentioned in the communication, an official said.
The alert comes as the city prepares for a concert at a major public venue and as security agencies assess threats that can affect civic offices, schools, private residences and large gatherings at the same time. The report does not state that any attack has occurred or that explosives have been recovered at any of the locations.
The investigation will establish the source and authenticity of the email. Until then, security and surveillance will remain heightened at the mayor’s office, Mahalaxmi Racecourse, selected educational institutions and the other locations identified by the sender, according to the official account cited by police.
