Noida astrologer Ashwin Kumar held for hoax Mumbai terror threat, wanted to frame friend-turned-foe
Lucknow: A 50-year-old man was arrested from Sector-79 in Noida by Mumbai police on Saturday for issuing a threatening message about a bomb blast during the Ganesh festival in Mumbai. Originally from Patna, Ashwin Kumar Supra has been living in Sector 79 of Noida for the past five years working as an astrologer and Vastu consultant.
The accused had sent a WhatsApp message to Mumbai Police late on Thursday night, claiming that 14 terrorists from Lashkar-e-Jihadi had entered Mumbai with 400 kg of RDX spread across 34 vehicles, planning a major blast that could kill up to one crore people.
Upon receiving the threat, a high alert was declared by Mumbai Police authorities and the case was handed over to the Crime Branch. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and other security agencies were also put on alert.
The message was received by both the police control room and the traffic police, leading to an immediate security review. After investigation, the Crime Branch traced Ashwin Kumar to Noida and arrested him. Police have seized his mobile phone, SIM card, four additional SIM card holders, six memory card holders, one external SIM slot, and two digital cards used to send the threatening messages.
As per police sources, during interrogation, Ashwin Kumar revealed that he sent the threatening message in revenge against Firoz, a Bihar resident, who was his friend. Ashwin had spent three months in Patna jail in 2023 due to a fraud case filed by Firoz. He used Firoz’s name to mislead authorities though details about the fraud case remain unclear.
A case has been registered as Crime No. 381/25 under sections 196(1)(a)(b), 351(2), 351(3), and 351(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police sources said that Ashwin Kumar, a postgraduate, is a divorcee as his wife Archana left him. He is known to be having a history of financial disputes. In 2023, he was jailed for three months after Firoz lodged a case against him at Phulwari Sharif police station in Patna.
This is not the first time Mumbai has faced bomb threats. On August 25, a railway station in Thane received a bomb threat, which turned out to be a hoax. A 43-year-old man, Rupesh Madhukar Ranpise, was arrested in that case.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Crime Branch took Ashwin Kumar to Mumbai for further investigations. Authorities continue to verify the threat’s credibility and are monitoring any potential security risks during the ongoing Ganesh festival.
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4 held for sexually assaulting woman, girl on moving bus after social media alert in UP's Agra
Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.
According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.
Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.
Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.
The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.
