A bomb threat made to the Reserve Bank of India's helpline on Saturday has drawn significant attention from law enforcement and security agencies. The caller, who introduced himself as the "CEO of Lashkar-e-Taiba," warned about a bomb at the central bank around 11 a.m. The individual also sang a song before issuing the threat, according to reports.
Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation, is infamous for orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai attacks, one of India's deadliest terror incidents. Following the bomb threat, the Mumbai Police promptly filed a case and initiated an investigation to trace the caller. The incident has raised concerns, especially in light of a recent surge in hoax calls targeting airlines and public institutions.
The rise in such false alarms has been troubling security agencies and the aviation industry. On Thursday, an IndiGo flight travelling from Nagpur to Kolkata had to make an emergency landing in Raipur after a bomb threat was received.
However, it was later confirmed to be a hoax. Similar incidents have disrupted operations and posed significant challenges for authorities in ensuring public safety.
The central government has taken these developments seriously and has warned social media platforms against enabling the spread of false information.
The Ministry of Information Technology has issued advisories, stating that bomb hoaxes not only alarm the public but also jeopardise the nation's economic security. Platforms failing to act against such content risk losing their exemptions under Indian laws.
Some of these hoaxes have been revealed as personal schemes rather than serious threats. For instance, a school dropout in Chhattisgarh was found to have fabricated a bomb threat to implicate a friend. These incidents highlight the misuse of sensitive information and the need for stricter monitoring and penalties.
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport recently faced a bomb scare as well. An anonymous caller claimed that a passenger was carrying explosives, leading to immediate security measures.
The call, reported to the CISF control room at Terminal 1, lacked specific flight details and ended abruptly. Authorities have since been working to identify the individual responsible.
In response to the recent RBI helpline threat, security measures across critical infrastructure, including airports and financial institutions, have been heightened. Investigations are ongoing to ensure public safety and hold those responsible for such disruptive activities accountable.
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