Mumbai on edge as Nair Hospital bomb scare adds to series of hoax threats

Mumbai police stayed on alert on Sunday (September 7) after a fresh bomb threat was reported at Nair Hospital in the city. Officials confirmed that a phone call was received warning of an attempt to blow up the hospital premises, which led to an immediate and thorough security sweep of the campus.

The threat was compounded by an email sent to the Dean’s official address late on Saturday night, around 11 pm. The message raised serious concern and was swiftly brought to the notice of the authorities.

Also read | Mumbai on high alert after ‘34 human bombs’ threat amid Ganesh festival celebrations

In view of the alert, police units, assisted by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), carried out an extensive search of the hospital premises. After several hours of inspection, no suspicious items were recovered, and authorities later confirmed the threat to be a hoax.

Mumbai on edge after threats

The incident comes close on the heels of a chilling threat received just two days earlier, when a caller to the traffic police helpline claimed that 34 “human bombs” carrying 400 kg of RDX had been planted in vehicles across Mumbai to unleash explosions “powerful enough to shake the entire city.” The call, made on Friday, was traced to a group identifying itself as “Lashkar-e-Jihadi.”

Police had tightened security measures across Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai, as lakhs of devotees participated in Ganesh idol immersions marking the culmination of the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival. More than 21,000 personnel were stationed across the city to manage crowds and maintain strict vigilance during the visarjan processions.

False alarms spark concern

Despite extensive checks, no suspicious material was recovered. Subsequently, a 51-year-old astrologer from Noida was arrested for issuing a fake threat to the Mumbai police in an alleged bid to implicate his friend.

Also read | Noida astrologer arrested for hoax Mumbai bomb threat

The Nair Hospital scare adds to a growing list of hoax calls and emails targeting Mumbai in recent months. A 43-year-old man was recently arrested in Thane for allegedly making a fake bomb threat about blowing up Kalwa railway station. In August, the ISKCON temple in Girgaon received a threat email, which was later declared a hoax after a thorough search by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS).

Similarly, in July, a threat call warned of an attack at Terminal 2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, which also turned out to be a hoax.