'14 terrorists, 400 kg RDX': Astrologer held from Noida for threatening to bomb Mumbai, wanted to frame friend-turned-foe

Mumbai Police on Saturday arrested a 51-year-old man from Noida for allegedly sending a hoax message claiming that 14 terrorists had entered the city with 400 kilograms of RDX to carry out blasts, PTI reported citing officials.

The hoax message was traced to a mobile number in Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. A team from Sector 113 police in Noida arrested the accused, identified as Ashwani Kumar, a native of Patna living in Sector 79 for the past five years. He described himself as an astrologer and vastu expert.

Kumar was handed over to Mumbai Police. He is being brought to Mumbai and will be produced before a court later in the day.

As per a PTI report, which cited officials, Kumar admitted that he acted out of personal revenge.

“He wanted to take revenge from a friend who had filed a case against him in Patna in 2023, in which he was jailed for three months. To settle scores, Kumar sent the threat message to the Mumbai Police using his friend’s name,” an officer said.

Police registered a case at Worli police station under Section 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sub-sections 2, 3, and 4.

Hoax message sent during festival preparations

The message was sent to the Mumbai traffic police’s WhatsApp helpline on Thursday, just days before Anant Chaturdashi, the concluding day of the Ganesh festival, when lakhs of devotees are expected to gather for idol immersions.

In the message, the sender claimed, “14 terrorists had entered the city with human bombs and 400 kgs of RDX and planted it in 34 vehicles to blow up the city.” He also mentioned the name of an organisation called ‘Lashkar-e-Jihadi’.

“This is the same traffic police WhatsApp helpline on which police had received threat messages in the past, which later turned out to be hoaxes. The Crime Branch has launched an investigation, and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and other agencies have also been informed,” an official told PTI on Friday.

Officials stressed that there is “no need to panic,” but security has been tightened at key locations and combing operations are underway. “Mumbaikars are urged not to believe in rumours. They must report any suspicious activity,” another official said.