Security has been tightened across Mumbai after the police received a WhatsApp message threatening blasts in the metropolis. The threat message was sent to Mumbai Traffic Police’s official WhatsApp number ahead of Anant Chaturdashi on Saturday.
The message was allegedly sent by a person claiming to be a member of ‘Lashkar-e-Jihadi’ outfit and warned that the country’s financial capital would shake after the blasts. It claimed that 14 terrorists from Pakistan had entered India and that 34 vehicles with human bombs had been planted in Mumbai.
Informing about the development, the Mumbai Police said, “Traffic Police in Mumbai received threats over their official WhatsApp number. In the threat, a claim has been made that 34 ‘human bombs’ have been planted in 34 vehicles across the city, and the blast will shake the entire Mumbai. The organisation, claiming to be ‘Lashkar-e-Jihadi’, says that 14 Pakistani terrorists have entered India”.
The threat message further said that the bombs were made using 400 kilograms of RDX.
The Mumbai Police is taking the threat seriously in view of the ongoing festivals and has launched an investigation into the matter. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and other agencies have also been apprised of the threat.
“The threat message further states that 400 kgs of RDX will be used in the blast. Mumbai Police is alert, and security across the state has been enhanced. All angles of the threat are being investigated,” the police added.
It may be noted that the 10-day Ganeshotsav festival, which began on Ganesh Chaturthi, will conclude with elaborate immersion processions on Anant Chaturdashi on Saturday.