In a fresh death threat received by billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani and his family, the Mumbai Police on Monday arrested a 56-year-old man — identified as one Vishnu Bhowmik — for allegedly making as many as eight calls to Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital to hand out deaths threats to Ambani and his family members.
The hospital, managed by the Ambani family, received “eight to nine” threat calls — one after another — between 10.45 am and 12 noon, soon after the flag-hoisting ceremony got over at the hospital.
Confirming the development, hospital’s CEO Dr Tarang Gianchandani said, “As soon as the flag hoisting ceremony was over we received, 8 to 9 calls between 10.45 am and 12 noon, one after the other, from some unidentified person giving out death threats to our chairman Mukesh. We have lodged an FIR with the police. The police have initiated investigations. We have also beefed up our internal security.”
Before long, the police traced the calls to one Vishnu Bhowmik, who is understood to have admitted to having made threat calls to Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital. Bhowmik was detained from Dahisar, a northern suburb of Mumbai.
Later in the day, the police placed Bhowmik - said to be a jeweller from Dahisar -- under arrest and booked him under section 506-2 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The police are ascertaining the criminal records or otherwise of Bhowmik.
“The suspect has been arrested under section 506(2) for criminal intimidation and issuing threats. He had threatened Mukesh and abused him, “a senior police official said.
Though the police have established the motive behind Bhowmik’s multiple threat calls to the Reliance Foundation Hospital, the police said that arrested person appeared per se mentally unstable.
Meanwhile, the city police have beefed up security in and around Mukesh residence “Antilia” in south Mumbai.
Last month, the Supreme Court had ruled that Mukesh and his family in Mumbai could continue to have security provided by the Centre, while dismissing a petition challenging the provision.
The Centre had approached the Supreme Court after the Tripura High Court had accepted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the Government security cover to the Ambanis.
Mukesh and his family were given security cover by the Maharashtra Government based on an evaluation of threat perception by the Union Government.
Monday’s was the third threat received by the Mukesh family, after the recovery of a Gelatin sticks’ laden Scorpio and a threatening letter inside a vehicle on Carmichael Road, near the industrialist’s residence on February 25,2021.
Subsequently, a taxi driver had sounded the police about the possibility of a fresh threat to the industrialist and his family.
It may be recalled that on February 25 last year, a Gelatin sticks’ laden Scorpio and a threatening letter inside the vehicle, in the vicinity of Mukesh 27-storey residence “Antilia” on Carmichael Road in south Mumbai.
The investigations into the sensational recovery of an explosive-laden SUV near Mukesh residence and the subsequent suspected murder of the vehicle owner Mansukh Hiran led to the arrest of 11 persons, including four police officers.
On September 3 2021, the NIA - in a voluminous charge-sheet filed in a Special NIA Special Court here --charged the ten accused - including dismissed Assistant Sub-Inspectors Sachin Waze, Riyazuddin Kazi, yester year encounter-specialist Pradeep Sharma, convicted constable Vinayak Shinde - with various offences under various sections of Indian Penal Code for murder, cheating, conspiracy and also various sections of the Arms Act, Explosive Substance Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Apart from Waze, Kazi, Sharma and Shinde, the others who have been named in the charge-sheet are: Naresh R Gor, Sunil D Mane, Santosh A Shelar, Manish V Soni, Anand P Jadhav and Satish T Mothkuri.
The NIA has based its charge-sheet on three FIRs it registered in connection with the twin incidents. While the first FIR registered at the Gamdevi police station relates to the recovery of a Mahindra Scorpio Vehicle on Carmichael Road, Mumbai during the intervening night of February 24 and 25, 2021 with 20 Gelatine Sticks Explosive and a threat note addressed to Mukesh.
The second FIR registered with at the Vikhroli Police Station relates to theft of the seized Mahindra Scorpio vehicle, while the third FIR registered at Mumbra police station relates to the recovery of Mansukh Hiran’s body from the nearby creek on March 5, 2021.
Under the UAPA, the NIA has invoked sections pertaining to terrorism, terror conspiracy and being members of a terror group. Being serious in nature, the serious charges slapped against the accused attract heavy punishment.
Vaze was the first accused to have been arrested by the NIA which registered an FIR in the explosive-laden SUV recovery case on March 8, 2021. Subsequently, the remaining accused persons were arrested.
All of the 11 accused have been booked under sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 465 (forgery) 473 (making or possessing counterfeit seal) and 506 -2 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 4 (a)(b)(i) of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.
In its 290-page charge-sheet filed in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on September 3, 2021, the NIA had charged that Vaze -- the main accused in the twin explosive-laden SUV recovery and businessman Mansukh Hiran murder cases --had “conspired” to “terrorise wealthy and prosperous individuals”, including Mukesh Ambani and his family, as part of his plan to stage a come-back as a “super cop” after being under suspension for 16-long years.
“The intent was clearly to terrorise wealthy and prosperous individuals and also to extort money by putting them into fear of dire consequences. The post on Telegram channel ‘Jaish Ul Hind’ appears to be a deliberate attempt to add credibility to the above said act of terror, and the murder of Hiran was a direct outcome of the said act of terror,” the NIA stated its charge-sheet filed before an NIA court.
Hiran’s body was recovered from the marshy Reti-Bunder creek Mumbra in the neighbouring Thane district on March 5, 2021.
Hiran, a Thane-based businessman whose “stolen” SUV with 20 gelatin sticks was recovered by the police near Industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s skyscraper mansion “Antilia” in south Mumbai on February 25, 2021 hit the headlines after his body was found in mysterious circumstances on March 5, 2021.
Hiran (48), who was into the car accessories business, had reportedly been missing from his Thane home since March 4 last year, a day before the recovery of his body from the Mumbra creek.