Mumbai authorities were on red alert on Thursday after an email threat warned of bomb blasts across the city (at the airport, the Mayor’s office, the ‘Jalsa’ bungalow of film star Amitabh Bachchan and a PNB branch). Separately, the NIA has registered a case to look into a Khalistan Liberation Army conspiracy behind a petrol bomb attack on a BJP office in Sangrur, Punjab, in July.
An email was sent at 10.52 am from reduak079@gmail.com to the PNB Zonal Office, Mumbai; the Local Crime Branch, Cuffe Parade; and the PNB Zaveri Bazar branch. The subject line refers to a bomb blast at a PNB branch at 1.11 pm on 27th Nov and 31st December.
It threatens attacks on banks in Mumbai, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mahalaxmi Stadium, Bachchan’s ‘Jalsa’ and the Mayor’s office. Mentions Khalistan and the Khalistan National Army.
In a separate but related development, the NIA has registered a case on the July 26 petrol bomb attack on the BJP office on Upli Road, Sangrur, which was intended to cause maximum damage by fire. No one was hurt. Punjab Police had already registered an FIR and arrested two accused (Happy Singh and Jaspreet Singh). A handler based in a neighbouring country recruited them via social media, and the attack was part of a KLA conspiracy.
The State Police arrested the two accused (Happy Singh and Jaspreet Singh) during the investigation. It emerged that a handler in a neighbouring country recruited the two through social media. The attack was part of a conspiracy by the KLA, as per the NIA FIR.
The NIA has taken over the case on the directions of the Union Home Ministry. The Centre has determined that a scheduled offence has been committed. It is a case of a targeted attack aimed at the life and property of persons and intended to create panic and terror in the minds of the people.
Given the gravity of the offence, the national and international implications, and the need to go beyond the immediate incident to probe the wider conspiracy, the Home Ministry has opined that the matter requires a full NIA investigation.
In the FIR, the NIA has named Happy Singh, Jaspreet Singh and others unknown. The Punjab Police investigation had already established that the two men who were arrested were given Rs 2,200 to throw the crude bomb and to film it. The amount paid and the instruction to film it are part of the evidence the state police gathered before the case was transferred.