A 50-year-old man from Patna, Ashwin Kumar Supra, was arrested in Noida on Saturday for sending a threatening message to Mumbai Police about a bomb blast during the Ganesh festival. Ashwin, who has been living in Sector-79, Noida for the past five years as an astrologer and Vastu consultant, claimed that 14 terrorists from Lashkar-e-Jihadi had entered Mumbai with 400 kg of RDX across 34 vehicles, intending to kill up to one crore people.
Following the threat, Mumbai Police declared a high alert, involving the Crime Branch, Anti-Terrorism Squad, and other security agencies. Investigations traced the origin of the messages to Noida, leading to Ashwin’s arrest. Authorities seized his mobile phone, SIM cards, memory cards, and digital devices used to send the threat.
During interrogation, Ashwin revealed he acted in revenge against a friend, Firoz, over a 2023 fraud case that had landed him in Patna jail for three months. He used Firoz’s name to mislead authorities.
A case has been registered under sections 196(1)(a)(b), 351(2), 351(3), and 351(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Ashwin, a postgraduate, is divorced and reportedly involved in financial disputes. The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken him to the city for further investigation, and security continues to be monitored during the festival.