Ashwini Kumar, a resident of Noida, was arrested by Mumbai Police for sending a fake terror threat during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Maharashtra’s capital. According to a report, Kumar’s motive was personal revenge against a former friend from Bihar who had previously caused him to be jailed.
Background: The Origin of the Dispute
Ashwini Kumar originally comes from Patna and moved to Noida around five years ago, where he set up an astrology business. His problems began in 2023 when his former friend, Firoz Ahmed, filed a cheating case against him at the Phulwari Sharif police station in Bihar. As a result of this case, Kumar spent four months in jail.
During his time in prison, Kumar developed a strong grudge against Ahmed and started planning to get back at him. The report by Times of India stated that Kumar’s plan involved threatening Mumbai with bomb blasts in order to frame his friend.
The Threat Message
On Thursday, Kumar sent a threatening message to the traffic control room in Mumbai. In the message, he claimed that 34 live bombs had been planted all over the city and that 14 Pakistani terrorists had entered Mumbai. To make the threat seem more authentic, Kumar included a fake terror group name, “Lashkar-e-Jihadi,” implying that an organized terror group was involved.
Kumar sent this message from a recently purchased mobile number. He also used his friend Firoz Ahmed’s photo as his WhatsApp display picture to mislead the authorities and create confusion about who was responsible.
Police Action and Arrest
As the city was celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi, the threat caused serious concern, and the Mumbai Police quickly raised the alert level. They deployed the anti-terrorism squad and the crime branch to investigate the matter.
The police traced the origin of the message to Noida and collaborated with Noida Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh. On Friday night, a special team from Mumbai, along with Noida Police, raided Kumar’s home in Civitech Stadia, Sector 79, Noida.
During the raid, the police recovered several devices Kumar used to hide his identity: seven mobile phones, three SIM cards, an external SIM slot device, six memory cards, and four SIM holders, as reported by Times of India.
No Terror Group Connection, Only Revenge
The police confirmed that Kumar was not connected to any terrorist organization. “He wanted his friend to be jailed,” a senior officer told the media. The entire threat was fabricated solely to settle a personal score.
This case highlights how personal grudges can lead to dangerous actions that endanger public safety. Thankfully, the authorities acted swiftly to prevent any real harm and arrest the person responsible. Kumar now faces legal action for causing panic and making false terror threats.
