Mumbai: Mumbai police’s crime branch apprehended three individuals from Vadodara, Gujarat, for allegedly sending a false bomb threat email to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The email, dispatched on Tuesday, warned of bombs planted at eleven Mumbai locations. It stipulated that all 11 devices would detonate sequentially unless RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman resigned by 1:30 pm.
The purported mastermind, Mohammad Arshil Mohammad Iqbal Topala, 27, a BBA graduate involved in share trading, claimed he sent the emails for amusement and to harass officials. He was arrested with two accomplices – his brother-in-law, Wasimraja Abdulrazzak Memon, 35, a paan shop owner, and Memon’s friend, Adilbhai Rafikbhai Malik, 23, a small shop proprietor.
Malik allegedly obtained a sim card through forged documents, passing it to Memon, who then handed it to Topala. The share trader created the email account ([email protected]) from his mobile using Malik’s procured sim card. The threatening email implicated RBI and private banks in a major scam, demanding resignations within a specified timeframe to avert alleged serial blasts. Bomb squads searched the locations mentioned in the email, finding nothing suspicious. Police traced the email origin, leading to the arrest of the trio in Vadodara. The accused face charges under IPC sections 505A (publishing statements inducing public fear or alarm) and 506(II) (criminal intimidation), handed over to MRA Marg police station.
This incident highlights the misuse of technology for malicious intents, emphasizing the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to counter such threats. The prompt police response and apprehension underscore the significance of coordinated efforts in tackling cybercrimes and ensuring public safety in the face of hoaxes that can disrupt normalcy and create panic. The accused now face legal consequences for their actions, serving as a deterrent against future attempts to exploit technology for nefarious purposes.
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