Bomb scare blitz: Threat emails target Mumbai and Nagpur mayors, Mantralaya, BMC HQ, RSS and BSE
MUMBAI/NAGPUR: Wednesday morning began with a wave of alarm across Maharashtra as bomb threat emails targeting some of the state’s most prominent offices, civic leaders and institutions triggered a massive security response stretching from Mumbai to Nagpur.
In a span of hours, police, bomb squads and security agencies were mobilised after a series of emails warned of explosions at the offices and vehicles of Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and Nagpur Mayor Neeta Thakre, the Chief Minister’s Office, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), and key Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) establishments in Nagpur.
The emails, allegedly sent by individuals identifying themselves as “Loretta Drake” and “Tamia Edwards” and claiming links to Khalistani separatist groups, warned that explosives had been planted at multiple locations. The alarming messages immediately set off emergency protocols, with security personnel fanning out across sensitive sites to conduct exhaustive searches.
In Mumbai, the threat email landed in the inbox of a senior civic official around 10.30am. The subject line itself carried a chilling warning about a bomb blast at the Mayor’s office. Police teams, bomb detection squads and civic security personnel swept through the BMC headquarters, inspected Mayor Tawde’s office chamber and searched her official vehicle. The iconic civic headquarters remained under heightened security through the day.
Despite the scare, Tawde attended her scheduled meetings and said public service would continue uninterrupted. “Duty has always been my first priority and will continue to be so,” she said, adding that threats would not deter civic work.
Meanwhile, Nagpur witnessed an equally intense security operation after a similar email claimed bombs had been planted at the RSS headquarters in Mahal and Dr Hedgewar Smruti Bhavan in Reshimbagh. Police and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad teams conducted extensive searches at both locations and surrounding areas.
After hours of inspections, authorities found no explosives or suspicious objects at any of the targeted sites. Investigators subsequently declared the threats a hoax.
Police officials said similar emails have recently been received by civic authorities in Pune and other cities. Investigators suspect the messages are linked to the same group that has previously sent hoax bomb threats to institutions in Chandigarh and New Delhi using virtual private networks (VPN) to conceal their identities.
An FIR has been registered against unidentified persons, while cyber experts have joined the investigation. Authorities said the emails were traced to foreign locations and efforts are underway to identify those behind the coordinated scare.
