Friend-turned-foe: Noida astrologer held over fake terror threat to Mumbai in revenge plot
Friend-turned-foe: Noida astrologer held over fake terror threat to Mumbai in revenge plot
Police say accused wanted revenge against a former friend by framing him; city was put on high alert ahead of Ganesh Visarjan
Mumbai Police went on high alert after receiving a hoax WhatsApp message claiming that 14 terrorists carrying explosives had entered the city and planted “human bombs” across Mumbai. Within hours, the threat was traced to Noida, leading to the arrest of a 51-year-old man who allegedly sent the message to frame his old acquaintance.
The accused, Ashwini Kumar, originally from Patna’s Patliputra area, had been living in a housing society in Noida’s Sector 79 for the past five years. Officials said he posed as an astrologer and vastu expert. According to investigators, Ashwini sent the message under the name of his former friend Firoz, with whom he had a long-standing enmity.
The WhatsApp threat, received on Thursday by the Mumbai Traffic Police, claimed that 34 “human bombs” had been planted across the city, with 400 kg of RDX ready to be used in blasts. The message, sent under the name of “Lashkar-e-Jihadi,” also alleged that 14 Pakistani terrorists had entered India.
The timing of the threat, just a day before Ganesh Visarjan heightened concerns, prompting massive security deployment across the city.
Noida Police traced the origin of the message and arrested Ashwini from Sector 79 before handing him over to Mumbai authorities. From his possession, police recovered seven mobile phones, three SIM cards, multiple memory card holders, and digital storage devices.
Police revealed that Ashwini had earlier been jailed for three months in 2023 after a case was filed against him by Firoz in Phulwari Sharif, Patna. Seeking revenge, he allegedly decided to implicate Firoz by sending the terror message in his name.
Mumbai Police have registered a case against Ashwini under sections related to criminal intimidation, cheating, and spreading terror. He is being brought to Mumbai for further questioning.
