RBI receives bomb threat via email targeting Mumbai head office

The threatening message, written in Russian, was sent to Governor Sanjay Malhotra's email address

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India received an email on Thursday threatening to blow up its head office, prompting an immediate police investigation. The threatening message, written in Russian, was sent to Governor Sanjay Malhotra's email address.

The Reserve Bank of India HQ in Mumbai. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui/File Photo (REUTERS)

"We have registered an offence on the complaint given by the security office of the RBI. The email sender in Russian has claimed that with the help of explosives they will blow the RBI. We have registered the offence against unknown persons under sections 3531(t) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023," a police officer said.

The MRA Marg police, who registered the case, are working to trace the origin of the email. While initial investigations suggest it may be a hoax, authorities are taking all necessary precautions.

Malhotra, who recently succeeded Shaktikanta Das as governor of the Central Bank, has inherited an institution that has faced similar threats in the recent past. In December 2023, the RBI received multiple hoax emails claiming bombs had been planted at various locations within the bank.

In a similar incident in November 2024, the RBI received a call from someone claiming to be the CEO of terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, demanding "Bank band kar do!" (shut down the bank). While that threat was determined to be false, it led to enhanced security measures at the RBI headquarters and thorough searches of the premises for suspicious objects.