A threatening email sent to Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde’s office on Friday put police and civic security teams on alert, but a search of the premises found nothing suspicious.

The email, which warned of a bomb blast at the mayor’s office, is the third such threat linked to the mayor, Mumbai Police said.

What was threatened

According to police, the message also claimed that bombs had been placed at three or four schools in the city and threatened a blast at the Mahalaxmi Race Course. It was received at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters, where the mayor’s office is located.

Police have not publicly released the text of the email or its sender’s address. Some reports say that the message also named public figures and an upcoming event at the race course. Police have not confirmed these claims.

The response

Police followed standard procedure. Bomb detection and disposal squad teams and sniffer dogs searched the mayor’s office, the surrounding area and the other places mentioned. Nothing suspicious was found.

BMC Security Officer Mahesh Chaudhary said no bomb had been found and that the checks were carried out “purely for security reasons”.

Police have begun an investigation to trace the person who sent the email.

A pattern of threats

This is not the first time the mayor’s office has been targeted. Earlier threats were sent in June and in August, in the days before Independence Day. On those occasions too, searches found no explosives. In August, the email was sent from an ID under a foreign-sounding name and also named the Mumbai Metro, the Bombay Stock Exchange and several schools. The mayor’s office functioned normally that day.

Hoax threats by email have become a regular problem for Indian cities in recent years, with schools, airports, courts and government offices among the targets. Almost all turn out to be false. Police still have to treat each one seriously, which uses up time and resources and can disrupt daily life.

Separately, an email threatening Bhayandar railway station and Bhayandar police station was received by the Mira-Bhayandar and Vasai-Virar police headquarters on Wednesday. Searches there also found nothing, and the threat was declared a hoax. Reports do not link it to the mayor’s email.

What to keep in mind

Sending a false bomb threat is a criminal offence. Members of the public who see unverified claims about threats on social media should avoid forwarding them, as they can cause panic.

What to watch

Whether police can trace the sender, what the investigation says about the earlier emails, and whether the threats are connected.

 

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