Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde receives bomb threat email; agencies on alert

BMC Mayor Ritu Tawde receives bomb threat e-mail (File pic)

Security agencies in Mumbai have been put on alert after Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde, on Wednesday, received a bomb threat via email. The email received by the Mumbai Mayor warned of bomb attacks targeting her official vehicle and office cabin, officials said.

According to preliminary information, the email threatened to plant explosives in the Mumbai mayor's car and office cabin. The message also referred to other high-profile locations, including the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the Mayor's Office and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), raising concerns among security agencies.

Following the receipt of the bomb threat over e-mail, police and security personnel swung into action and initiated standard security protocols. Furthermore, a thorough investigation has been launched to ascertain the credibility of the threat and identify the sender of the email.

Authorities on alert

The security has been heightened at the locations mentioned in the e-mail, while cyber experts are working to trace the origin of the email. The sender's identity and motive behind the threat are yet to be established.

Pune Municipal Corporation Headquarters receives bomb threat

In a similar incident earlier on Wednesday, panic gripped Pune city after a bomb threat email targeting the mayor's office in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) headquarters prompted authorities to immediately evacuate the main civic building.

According to officials, the threatening email was received on the official email ID of Mayor Manjusha Nagpure at around 8:20 am on June 10. The message warned of an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) attack and claimed that the mayor's office in Pune, along with several key locations in Nagpur, including the RSS headquarters and the Vidhan Bhavan, would be blown up. The email also reportedly mentioned specific dates and timings for the alleged blasts.

Following the threat, PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram directed immediate precautionary measures. The entire main building of the civic body was evacuated, and employees as well as citizens present on the premises were shifted to safer locations.

Police personnel and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) launched an extensive search operation across the PMC premises. Authorities said no one would be allowed to enter the municipal headquarters until the security sweep was completed.

The email ended with a reference to the "Khalistan National Army" and also mentioned "Operation Blue Star", prompting security agencies to treat the threat seriously. However, investigators are also examining whether the email was actually sent by any such organisation or whether the name was misused by miscreants to create panic.