RBI bomb threat: Mail sent to play 'mischief', investigations reveal as Mumbai Police arrest three persons from Gujarat

File Photo/PTI

Mumbai Police's crime branch has arrested three persons from Vadodara in Gujarat, on Wednesday, in connection with a threat directed at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regarding potential bomb blasts at various locations in Mumbai.

During the ongoing investigation, authorities revealed that the accused individuals orchestrated the threat mail with the intention of creating mischief, newswire PTI reported quoting officials of Mumbai Police.

The threat email, sent to the RBI, claimed that 11 bombs had been strategically placed at different locations in the city, including prominent sites such as the RBI's new office building, HDFC House in Churchgate, and the ICICI Tower in Bandra Kurla Complex.

Subsequently, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Mata Ramabai Ambedkar (MRA) Marg police station in South Mumbai against an unidentified person. The Mumbai Police's crime branch was then tasked to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.

Based on technical inputs, the crime branch successfully apprehended Mohammed Arshil Mohammed Iqbal Topala (27) from Vadodara. During investigations, Mumbai Police learnt that Topala had created the email account used to send the threat mail to the central bank. Notably, Topala holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree and is employed in share market trading.

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Following Topala's interrogation, the crime branch officials further detained Adil Bhai Rafiq Bhai Malik (23), employed at an egg shop, and Wasimraja Abdulrazzak Memon (35), both hailing from Vadodara. They were taken into custody due to their suspected involvement in the case and will be handed over to the MRA Marg police station for further legal action.

The threatening email, originating from the email address khilafat.india@gmail.com, was sent to the RBI governor's email ID at approximately 10:50 am on Tuesday.

The sender, threatening bomb blasts, demanded the immediate resignations of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. Additionally, the sender insisted on the release of a comprehensive statement addressing the alleged "banking scam," reveals the FIR.

In response to the threat, the Mumbai Police conducted searches at all the locations mentioned in the email, deploying Bomb Detection and Disposal (BDDS) personnel.

However, no suspicious items or activities were discovered at these sites. The investigation is ongoing. (With inputs from PTI)