A major security alert was triggered at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Monday after the Mumbai Police control room received a bomb threat call around 9 AM, the Free Press Journal reported. The caller claimed that explosives had been planted at the airport and threatened a blast would occur at 2 PM.
Mumbai Police swiftly launched an investigation, and within hours, the MIDC Police arrested the man behind the threat. The accused has been identified as Manjeet Kumar Gautam, a 35-year-old originally from Uttar Pradesh, currently residing in the Sakinaka area of Mumbai, FPJ report said.
According to FPJ report, Gautam phoned the police control room with a chilling warning: "I will blow up the Mumbai airport by 2 PM today." The threat led to heightened security measures at the busy international airport, with bomb detection and disposal squads, along with other security agencies, immediately deployed as a precaution.
The police were able to trace the call and apprehend Gautam shortly after the threat was made. He is now in police custody, and authorities are investigating the motive behind the hoax. Preliminary inquiries suggest he acted alone.
No explosives were found at the airport, and operations remained largely unaffected, though security was significantly tightened during the day.
Police have confirmed that appropriate legal action will be taken against the accused under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Mumbai Rains
The southwest monsoon made early arrival in Mumbai on Monday two days after hitting Kerala ahead of schedule and marking the the earliest recorded onset in at least the past 75 years. The normal onset date for southwest monsoon in the city is June 11.
Some parts of the city recorded over 200-250 mm of rainfall between Sunday midnight and Monday afternoon.
