Mumbai Police heightened security across the city on Friday after receiving a threat call on the traffic police's WhatsApp number. The caller claimed that 34 "human bombs" carrying 400 kg of RDX had been planted in 34 vehicles, warning of a massive explosion designed to "shake the entire city," the police said. They further said that a group identifying itself as 'Lashkar-e-Jihadi' has claimed responsibility for the threat. The message also alleged that 14 Pakistani terrorists have already infiltrated India. "Mumbai Police is alert and security across the state has been enhanced. All angles of the threat are being investigated," the police stated.
Man arrested for hoax bomb call in Thane
In a separate incident, a 43-year-old man was arrested on Monday for allegedly making a hoax bomb threat in Maharashtra's Thane district. According to the Government Railway Police (GRP), the accused, identified as Rupesh Madhukar Ranpise, called the police helpline around 4 pm on Sunday claiming to have planted a bomb at Kalwa railway station. Police later confirmed it was a false alarm.
ISKCON temple bomb threat turned out to be a hoax
Last month, Mumbai's ISKCON Temple in Girgaon also faced a similar situation after receiving a bomb threat email on August 22. The message, sent to the temple's official email ID, warned of a blast on the premises. The temple administration promptly alerted the police following which the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) carried out a late-night search. No explosives were found and the threat was confirmed to be a hoax, officials said.
Maharashtra Secretariat also received fake threat
In May 2025, the Maharashtra Secretariat received a bomb threat through email, warning of an explosion within 48 hours. Mumbai Police had tightened security and launched an investigation but no suspicious object was found. The threat was linked to India-Pakistan tensions. Earlier in 2024, over a thousand bomb threats were issued targeting schools and airplanes in Mumbai and Delhi. These, too, were confirmed to be fake. Police had identified several individuals responsible for making such threats and took action against them.
Rise in fake threats
It is to be noted here that there has been a surge in fake threats in the recent times. From schools to aeroplanes and public places, several threatening emails and messages warning of bomb blasts have been received. However, all of these turned out to be hoaxes. In May this year, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel received a threatening email, which called the execution of Afzal Guru, the mastermind of the 2001 Parliament attack, "unjust" and warned of an attack.
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