Mumbai, July 12 (IANS) A bomb threat targeting the iconic Taj Hotel in Mumbai triggered a security alarm, prompting police and security agencies to conduct a comprehensive search operation at the premises before declaring that the threat was a hoax, said police on Sunday.

According to officials, the Taj Hotel was placed on high alert after, at around 12:13 a.m., a man called the Navi Mumbai Police Control Room and allegedly claimed, “Dawood has planted a bomb at the Taj Hotel”. The information was immediately relayed to the Mumbai Police Main Control Room.

Following the alert, teams from the Colaba Police, the Crime Branch, and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) rushed to the Taj Hotel and launched an extensive security check. The hotel’s main lobby, swimming pool, banquet halls, restaurants, parking area, outer premises, and other sensitive locations were thoroughly searched.

After an exhaustive inspection, police confirmed that no suspicious object or explosive was found on the premises. The bomb threat was found to be a hoax.

Technical investigation revealed that the threatening call originated from the Turbhe area of Navi Mumbai. Police have launched a search to identify and arrest the caller based on the mobile number used. Authorities are working with the Turbhe Police to trace and apprehend the suspect.

The iconic hotel in the city’s Colaba area was one of the primary targets in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, in which 166 people were killed and hundreds injured.

A similar bomb threat was received by the Mumbai Police during which the caller allegedly claimed that Delhi’s historic Red Fort would be blown up, prompting police and security agencies to conduct a comprehensive search of the monument on Saturday. It was later declared to be a hoax.

According to Delhi Police, the threat originated from a phone call to the Mumbai Police Control Room, which immediately relayed the information to their Delhi counterpart, which, in turn, alerted the North District Police to initiate security measures.

Soon after receiving the alert, police personnel, bomb disposal squads, and other security teams rushed to the Red Fort and carried out an extensive sanitisation and inspection of the premises. After thoroughly checking the area, officials found no suspicious object or explosive material and confirmed that the threat was false.

–IANS

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