Mumbai went on high alert on Thursday after a fresh bomb threat email named some of the city’s most prominent places, including Amitabh Bachchan’s Juhu bungalow Jalsa, the international airport and the Mayor’s office. Police and bomb disposal squads searched the locations named in the message and found nothing suspicious, but the email has put security agencies on edge: it is the third time in three weeks that Bachchan’s home has been named in such a threat.
The email arrived at 10.52 am on Thursday, November 12, addressed to the zonal office of Punjab National Bank in Mumbai, the Local Crime Branch at Cuffe Parade and the bank’s Zaveri Bazar branch. It warned of a blast at a Punjab National Bank branch at 1.11 pm and then listed a string of other targets with specific timings through the day. A court was mentioned for 2.11 pm, the Mayor’s office for 3.11 pm and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for 9.11 pm. The message also named Jalsa, warning of a car bomb attack at the bungalow, and referred to singer Diljit Dosanjh’s upcoming Mumbai concert at Mahalaxmi Racecourse on November 27. Two dates, November 27 and December 31, were mentioned in the mail.
What the email said
The message was signed in the name of the “Khalistan National Army” and made references to Khalistan. It named three people, Eng. Guranakh Singh, Rukan Shahwala and Dr. Gurnirvair Singh Khan Rajada, and carried references to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Police sources said the email also warned people against attending Dosanjh’s shows and claimed the actor could be killed at his home by December 31.
Security agencies moved quickly. Bomb disposal squads and police teams inspected Jalsa, the airport, the Mayor’s office at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters and the other locations named in the message. Nothing suspicious was found at any of the sites. Police said the investigation is now focused on establishing who sent the email, whether the threats are linked to the earlier messages and how credible they are.
Third threat naming Jalsa in three weeks
Thursday’s email is the third in less than a month to name Bachchan’s home. On October 23, an email sent to Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi warned of a blast at the Mayor’s office, a grenade attack on a school on October 31 and an attack on Bachchan’s home at some point between October 31 and November 27. That message also named Diljit Dosanjh’s November 27 concert at Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Searches were carried out at the time and nothing was found.
On November 6, another email named the Bombay High Court, the Bombay Stock Exchange, Jalsa and Mahalaxmi Racecourse as targets. Police have not yet established whether the same person or group is behind the messages, and no arrests have been reported so far.
Separately, police said a mail threatening Dosanjh’s Indore concert had been sent from the hacked account of a man in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, a reminder of how hard such messages are to trace.
Government assures Bollywood of safety
Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar addressed the concerns in the film industry at a press conference on Thursday, saying Mumbai Police is investigating the threats and working to identify those behind them. He assured members of the entertainment industry that Bollywood is safe, and said the police are tracing the origins of the threatening calls and emails, including some that appear to have been generated using artificial intelligence.
The fresh threats come against a worrying backdrop for the film industry. On October 18, actor Tiger Shroff’s car was fired at in Juhu when he was returning home after playing football, in an incident the Lawrence Bishnoi gang allegedly claimed responsibility for. The Mumbai Police had also issued a security advisory to the industry earlier this month. Additional security arrangements were reportedly made outside Jalsa in recent days, before Thursday’s email arrived.
For now, the immediate scare appears to have passed without incident. The 1.11 pm deadline named in the email for the bank branch passed without any explosion, and the searches at the airport, the Mayor’s office and Jalsa found nothing. With the email naming November 27, the date of Dosanjh’s Mumbai concert, and December 31, police are expected to keep security tight at the venues named in the message.
FAQs
What happened on Thursday, November 12?
A bomb threat email received at 10.52 am named Amitabh Bachchan’s Jalsa, Mumbai airport, the Mayor’s office, a court, a Punjab National Bank branch and Diljit Dosanjh’s November 27 concert. Police searched all the locations and found nothing suspicious.
Has Jalsa been threatened before?
Yes. Thursday’s email is the third in three weeks to name the bungalow. Earlier emails on October 23 and November 6 also mentioned Jalsa among their targets.
Was anything found during the searches?
No. Bomb disposal squads and security teams inspected the premises named in the email and found nothing suspicious.
Is Diljit Dosanjh’s Mumbai concert still on?
The concert is scheduled for November 27 at Mahalaxmi Racecourse. No cancellation has been announced, and police are investigating the threat.
Who sent the threat email?
The email was signed in the name of the “Khalistan National Army”. Police have not yet established the sender’s identity or whether the threat is genuine.
Police have asked people not to panic and to report anything suspicious, while the investigation into the email, and the two earlier messages naming Jalsa, continues.
