Threat email to Bachchan triggers Mumbai alert

Mumbai Police have launched a multi-agency investigation after a threatening email was sent to the city mayor’s office.

The email warned of attacks on Amitabh Bachchan’s Juhu residence, Diljit Dosanjh’s upcoming concert, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) mayor’s office, and schools across the city. It was received around 11.30 am and was also marked to the deputy mayor. Authorities immediately launched a search, but found no suspicious material.

The authorities have made it clear that Bachchan didn’t, in fact, receive a threat.

The communication mentioned his name and address. By late afternoon, neither Bachchan nor Dosanjh had made a public statement. An email sent under the name Smith Johnson, with the subject line “Mumbai Bombay Bolega Khalistan Zindabad”, claimed to be from the self-styled Khalistan National Army and referenced Babbar Khalsa.

It referenced the 1984 anti-Sikh violence and referred to khoon ka badla/khoon da badla khoon (blood for blood) as the basis for the threats. Specific threats mentioned were a grenade attack on Bachchan’s bungalow, Jalsa on or about October 31 (or between October 31 and November 27), a suicide or bomb attack at Dosanjh’s November 27 concert at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, an attack on the mayor’s office around 3.11 pm and strikes on schools around 1.11 pm or on October 31.

It listed the purported members and locations of the groups and, in some versions, linked Dosanjh to the threats partly because of his connection with Bachchan.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Maneesh Kalwaniya of the relevant zone confirmed that the BMC office had received a threat mail. The mail had been checked, and nothing suspicious was found. Security and surveillance have been enhanced at the mayor’s office in the BMC headquarters, Mahalaxmi Racecourse, various educational institutions, and other mentioned sites.

At least one school also received similar or related messages, with some schools evacuating or carrying out precautionary inspections.

The Mayor’s office has received several such messages in the past. It appears to be at least the third such message (targeting the BMC, the CM’s office, the Bombay Stock Exchange, Metro stations, schools, etc., including one just before Independence Day). The same purported group also sent other emails earlier in the year targeting civic offices, RSS-affiliated organisations, and schools in other cities in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Many of the threats were traced to foreign IP addresses via VPNs and were subsequently deemed hoaxes after bomb disposal and detection units, as well as dog squads and anti-sabotage units, found nothing.

The cyber cells are reviewing the headers, IP data, server routes, and message content to identify the sender and assess the messages’ credibility. The police have advised the public not to panic and to take the messages seriously. The investigation is ongoing, and security will increase at the named venues in the coming weeks, particularly as Dosanjh’s Aura India Tour date draws near.