14 Terrorists, 400 kg RDX”: Mumbai Panic
14 Terrorists, 400 kg RDX”: Noida Astrologer Held for Hoax Mumbai Blast Threat to Frame Former Friend
1. The Scare That Rocked Mumbai
On September 4, 2025, Mumbai Police received a chilling WhatsApp message on its traffic helpline. The sender claimed that 14 Pakistani terrorists had entered Mumbai with 400 kg of RDX, and that 34 vehicles carrying “human bombs” were set to cause massive destruction during the Ganesh Visarjan festivities.
The city went on high alert. The message triggered massive panic across law enforcement and security agencies. (Sources)
2. Mumbai on Alert
Given the timing—right before Anant Chaturdashi and Ganesh idol immersions—the police immediately intensified security across sensitive areas, including railway stations, major roads, and religious gathering spots.
The Crime Branch, ATS, cyber teams, and intelligence units were mobilized to verify and trace the threat. (Source)
3. The Twist: A Fake Threat
In less than 24 hours, Mumbai Police traced the origin of the WhatsApp message using cyber forensics. The sender was Ashwini Kumar, a 51-year-old astrologer from Noida with a background in Vastu Shastra. He was arrested from a housing society in Noida and taken into custody for interrogation.
He confessed: the terror threat was completely fake.
4. Motive: Revenge Against a Former Friend
What was his motive?
Ashwini wanted to frame his former friend—a man named Firoz—who had earlier filed an extortion case against him in Patna in 2023. That case had landed Ashwini in jail for 3 months.
To take revenge, he used Firoz’s name in the hoax message, hoping the police would arrest him under terror charges. He never expected the case to escalate to national headlines.
5. Charges and Legal Action
Ashwini Kumar is now facing serious charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal intimidation and hoax terror messaging.
He has been booked under Sections 351 (criminal intimidation), and 2, 3, and 4 of the BNS, and was transferred to Mumbai for court proceedings. (Source)
6. Why This Case Matters
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Mass Panic: The hoax triggered widespread fear in one of India’s busiest cities.
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Waste of Security Resources: Police and intelligence agencies were diverted to handle a non-existent threat.
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Exploiting National Security: Using terrorism threats to settle personal scores exposes vulnerabilities and the ease with which digital tools can be misused.