A man has been arrested in Noida for allegedly sending a threatening message to the Mumbai Police about multiple planned blasts in the city during the ongoing Ganesh festival.
The message, which was sent on Thursday to the traffic police's WhatsApp helpline, claimed that 14 terrorists had entered the city with 400 kilograms of RDX, which had been planted in 34 vehicles. The threat caused a stir within the police force, which was already making extensive security arrangements for Anant Chaturdashi, the tenth day of the Ganesh festival, scheduled for Saturday.
According to sources, the sender was identified as Ashwini. The arrest occurred after the Mumbai Police, based on information gathered during their investigation, contacted Noida Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh for assistance. A team was subsequently formed by the Noida police, which led to Ashwini's arrest.
The Mumbai Police had previously stated that the threat message mentioned an organisation called 'Lashkar-e-Jihadi'.
"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 rumors and report any suspicious activity," a police officer said on Friday.
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The officer added that while the threat appears to be a hoax, the police are still using technical analysis to investigate the message's origin. He also noted that the police are taking maximum precautions due to the large crowds expected for the idol immersion ceremonies.
A case has been registered at the Worli police station against an unidentified person under section 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and its sub-sections 2, 3, and 4.
More than 21,000 police personnel have been deployed across the city to maintain law and order during the idol immersions. It is expected that lakhs of people will gather on the streets on Saturday to bid farewell to Lord Ganesh by immersing idols in the sea, other water bodies, and artificial ponds.
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