Mumbai, Pune on high alert after bomb threats to airport, Bachchan's home, civic offices

Mumbai/Pune: Authorities in Mumbai were placed on high alert on Thursday following an email threat warning of bomb blasts across the metropolis, including at the airport, Mayor's office, megastar Amitabh Bachchan's bungalow 'Jalsa' and a Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch, an official said.

The official said the email, sent at 10.52 am from an account identified as reduak079@gmail.com, was addressed to the Zonal Office of PNB Mumbai, the Local Crime Branch (LCB) at Cuffe Parade and the bank's Zaveri Bazar branch in south Mumbai.

The subject line of the email mentioned a bomb blast at a PNB branch in Mumbai at 1.11 pm. It further mentioned dates, including November 27 and December 31, and contained threatening references to bomb attacks.


The email contained threats referring to multiple locations, including Mumbai banks, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mahalaxmi Stadium, Bachchan's 'Jalsa' bungalow, Mayor's office, besides making references to Khalistan and a purported organisation named 'Khalistan National Army', the official said.

Another email, also sent in the name of the Khalistan National Army, mentioned the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) headquarters and the city Mayor's office as potential targets of bomb blasts and specified 3.11 pm as the detonation time, a second official said.

Security was stepped up at the PMC headquarters, where the Mayor's office is also located, after the civic body received the threat email.

"The email was received at 1.16 pm on Thursday. Following this, security was stepped up (at PMC headquarters) and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) was summoned," said Ganesh Sonune, in-charge of the PMC Disaster Management Cell.

Similar bomb threat emails had been received by the PMC on June 10 and November 3. Both threats had subsequently turned out to be hoaxes.