Panic gripped the premises of the Mumbai Press Club on Friday after a threatening email claimed that gas bombs had been planted inside the building and would explode at 1 PM. According to officials, the email triggered an immediate response from the Mumbai Police, which rushed teams to the location and cordoned off the area as a precautionary measure. Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) units, along with dog squads, were deployed to conduct a thorough search of the premises.
Authorities confirmed that the email sender identified themselves as “Neerja Ajmal Khan” and included certain political claims, raising concerns about the motive behind the threat. However, officials have not verified the authenticity of the identity mentioned in the message.
A senior police official said that all necessary safety protocols were activated promptly to ensure the security of people in and around the Press Club. The building was evacuated while the search operation was underway. Preliminary checks did not immediately reveal any suspicious objects, but officials stated that the search was being carried out meticulously to rule out any risk.
Meanwhile, cyber teams of the Mumbai Police have initiated an investigation to trace the origin of the email. Early inputs suggest that the message was sent using Proton Mail, an encrypted email service, making the tracing process more complex. Police officials added that efforts are underway to identify the sender and determine whether the threat was a hoax or part of a larger conspiracy.