WhatsApp 26/11 threat message: Detained man says he is from UP

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police probing the threat messages warning of a "26/11-like" attack on the city questioned the man detained from neighbouring Virar on the second consecutive day on Sunday.

The detained person told the police that he belongs to Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh.

During the investigation, he said that he used to work as a cleaner on the truck with his father. But after the death of his father he came to Mumbai. He has been working as a barber in his brother's saloon at Virar for the last one year.

The detained person also said that this is the second incident in his life. Last time, a lawyer got a threat call from his number. DCP Balsingh Rajput said police are verifying the statement of the detained man.

"All the other numbers which are mentioned in the WhatsApp message are from UP and Bihar. We have tracked their locations. Some of them have kept their mobile switched off. Our investigation is underway," he added.

"The person whom we had detained from Virar has not been arrested yet," said Rajput.

According to sources, six names and numbers which are mentioned in the WhatsApp message are also from Bijnor and these people never met each other.

Mumbai police on Friday night had received over a dozen messages from an unknown person who threatened to soon carry out a 26/11-style terrorist attack in Mumbai.

One of the messages stated that six people will execute the attack. In another message, the sender warned of attacks similar to Punjab's Sidhu Moosewala murder and the killing of a tailor in Udaipur.

The police have claimed that prima-facie it appears that these messages were sent from a number that has a country code of Pakistan.

The police have increased the security at vital installations and places in the city, following the receipt of threat messages. An FIR has been registered at Worli police station under section 506 (Criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code against the unknown person.

Published on: Monday, August 22, 2022, 10:29 AM IST