Mumbai Crime: Hotels get hoax emails from Lashkar-e-Taiba

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Four plush hotels - Hotel Sea Princess and The Park in Santacruz, The Leela in Andheri and Sahara Star in Vile Parle and another hotel Seven Eleven Club in Mira Road received emails with a subject - 'Lashkar-e-Taiba warns management of your hotel' threatening to blow up the hotel if they didn't pay 100 bitcoins.

While the initial four hotels received the email on February 12, the Mira Road hotel received it on February 19.

"We Lashkar-e-Taiba central vilayat of Pakistan and caliphate supporters have sent our shahid to your hotel. If you don't want deaths, transfer 100 bitcoins within 24 hours. If you don't, there will be a lot of blood and death. Tell your owners this is not a joke, as death awaits you. We are ready to die in the name of Allah and nothing can stop us," the threat mail read.

The Joint CP (Crime) of Mumbai Police Santosh Rastogi told mid-day that the miscreants are being tracked.

The Additional SP Mira Bhayandar Santaram Valvi said, "The general manager of Hotel Seven Eleven filed a complaint and we have registered an FIR under relevant sections of extortion and Information Technology (IT) act."

"We also scanned the hotel premises but found nothing. We are investigating the case," said Valvi.

Sources at Mumbai police told mid-day, "The miscreants used TOR browser to evade the IP address tracking. But considering the sensitivity of the matter, our cyber cell is working on it and they will be nabbed soon."

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