Mumbai Police has ramped up security across the city after a chilling bomb threat was received on the traffic police helpline, claiming that 34 “human bombs” carrying 400kg of RDX have been planted in vehicles to unleash devastation during the ongoing Ganesh visarjan.
The caller, identifying with the name Lashkar-e-Jihadi, threatened that the explosions would “shake the entire city” and could take the lives of “one crore people.” The timing of the threat, on the eve of Anant Chaturdashi, coincides with the culmination of Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, when lakhs of devotees gather for idol immersions across Mumbai.
Authorities have launched citywide checks, with police, bomb detection squads, and intelligence units on high alert. Additional security has been deployed at visarjan sites, religious gatherings, transport hubs, and crowded public areas.
This latest scare follows a string of recent hoax threats in Mumbai and Maharashtra:
- On Monday, a man was arrested for falsely claiming a bomb was planted at Kalwa railway station in Thane.
- In August, the Iskcon Temple in Girgaon received a bomb threat email, which turned out to be fake after a thorough BDDS search.
- On July 25, a similar threat was made against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport’s Terminal 2, later declared a hoax.
Despite this backdrop of repeated false alarms, police say the Lashkar-e-Jihadi threat is being treated with utmost seriousness given its scale, timing, and potential impact.
“We are not taking any chances. Security has been increased across the city to ensure public safety during visarjan,” a senior Mumbai Police official told reporters.
