Message links Jaish-ul-Hind to Mukesh Ambani scare, denial follows

(This story originally appeared in on Mar 01, 2021)

Three days after an explosive-laden vehicle was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s bungalow on Carmichael Road in Mumbai, a message purportedly from the Jaish-ul-Hind surfaced on Sunday taking responsibility for the action and demanding transfer of funds from the Ambani family into their bitcoin account.

However, late in the evening, a denial was issued in the name of the same group denying their role in the case.

The earlier message said, “We are the same “Akhlaq” you killed. We are people you massacred in the Delhi pogrom…” Akhlaq was apparently a reference to Mohammaed Akhlaq who was killed by a mob in Dadra in 2015 over the issue of cow slaughter.

The denial said, “By this poster we want to clear that ‘Jaish-uI-Hind’ has no relation with the incident… The alleged telegram account and poster has no link with JaishuI-Hind, we condemn Indian intelligence agencies for morphing and making fake poster… We are fighting for shariyah not for money, we are fighting against secular democracy not Ambani.”

Both messages were transmitted through the Telegram app. The name ‘Jaishul-Hind’ first surfaced following a blast near the Israel embassy in New Delhi in January this year. A message claiming responsibility was circulated on Telegram even then. A Maharashtra antiterror squad officer said that was the first time they heard the name of the outfit.

Reacting to the claim, deputy commissioner of police S Chaitanya said, “No comments. Mumbai police is investigating all angles.” Police said if there was any truth in it, there was a strong possibility of the National Investigation Agency taking over the probe.

“We suspect that such claims are an afterthought. Terror organisations usually take responsibility for the attack in 24 hrs,” an official said. Meanwhile, the Mumbai crime branch is still trying to trace the Innova which was seen accompanying the vehicle carrying the sticks. Its location was the Kalyan-Bhiwandi Road. Crime branch units have fanned out and are questioning petrol pump owners, scanning CCTV footage of toll nakas to identify the drivers of the two vehicles.