Mumbai was put on high alert Thursday (November 12) after another bomb threat email reportedly named several locations in the city Amitabh Bachchan’s residence, Mumbai airport and mayor’s office among them forcing security agencies and Mumbai Police to step up precautionary measures.
The email warned of bomb blasts at different places which worried officials about public safety and security in the financial capital. Places mentioned were Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai mayor’s office, Amitabh Bachchan’s Juhu bungalow (popularly known as Jalsa), Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch among others.
The threat has renewed security concerns because Amitabh Bachchan’s house has been mentioned in similar threatening messages in the last few weeks.
Amitabh Bachchan’s Jalsa Among the Targets
The Jalsa reference in the latest threat has been widely discussed. The famous bungalow in Mumbai’s Juhu neighbourhood is often visited by fans who gather outside the property on Sundays to catch a glimpse of the veteran actor when he makes his usual Sunday appearance there.
Big B has reportedly received threats to his residence in the past few weeks. After one such threat he was seen greeting fans from behind a transparent bulletproof enclosure put up outside his bungalow.
People noticed the security detail photos and videos of the actor chatting with fans were widely shared.
Mumbai Airport and Mayor’s Office Also Mentioned
Mumbai airport and Mayor’s office were also mentioned. The latest email was also worrying because it apparently listed Mumbai’s international airport and the mayor’s office as targets.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is one of India’s busiest airports with domestic and international passengers every day. Any security threat to the airport needs to be addressed immediately by law enforcement and airport security authorities.
Another place mentioned is the mayor’s office. Several important establishments were included in it so authorities were alerted.
A Punjab National Bank branch was also reportedly named in the threatening email.
Investigation Underway
When they got the threat Mumbai police increased security and checked places listed in email. Officials are also looking into what was written in the message and who sent it.
Earlier this month there were threats via emails in October and earlier in November. Emails had mentioned Amitabh Bachchan’s bungalow, government offices etc.
On 6 November a separate bomb threat email was investigated naming Bachchan's residence, Bombay High Court, Bombay Stock Exchange and Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Security teams searched those places but nothing suspicious or explosives were found there.
These repeated threats have also questioned the security of prominent public establishments and high profile personalities in Mumbai.
The authorities are still looking at the latest email and verifying it. We don’t know everything yet because security agencies are trying to find out who sent it and how serious the message is.
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