Mumbai Crime Branch arrests security guard from J&K over threat from Pakistani number
Mumbai, Sep 7 (IANS) The Mumbai Crime Branch’s Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) on Monday has arrested a 45-year-old security guard from Jammu and Kashmir in connection with an investigation into an alleged threat issued from a Pakistan-based phone number.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Sharif, is originally from Jammu and Kashmir but has been living in Mumbai for the past few years. He was working as a security guard in the city.
The case came to light after a Mumbai resident allegedly received threatening WhatsApp calls and voice messages from a number linked to Pakistan. During the investigation, the Crime Branch found that Sharif was in contact with the Pakistan-based number from which the alleged threats were issued.
According to officials, police examined Sharif’s mobile phone and found evidence of conversations and other contact with the individual using the Pakistan-based number. Following this, Sharif was detained and questioned by the investigators before being formally arrested.
The investigation is being conducted against the backdrop of a demolition in Mumbai’s Bandra area, following which a threat was allegedly received from a Pakistan-based number. The Crime Branch is now probing the circumstances surrounding the threat and the nature of Sharif’s alleged connection with the person in Pakistan.
Investigators are also examining whether Sharif had any direct or indirect role in the alleged threat calls and voice messages. The police are trying to establish the identity and motive of the person who allegedly issued the threats and determine whether Sharif’s communication with the individual was connected to the incident.
The investigation has taken on a wider dimension after police learnt that Sharif’s father lives in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Investigators are now examining whether this connection has any relevance to the case and are verifying the circumstances surrounding Sharif’s contacts in Pakistan.
At present, the Mumbai Crime Branch is focusing on the communication trail between Sharif and the Pakistan-based number. Investigators are expected to examine the contents of their conversations, the frequency of communication, and other digital evidence to establish the exact nature of the alleged link.
Police are also likely to scrutinise the circumstances in which contact was established between Sharif and the person based in Pakistan and whether the communication had any connection with the alleged threats received by the Mumbai resident.
The Crime Branch is continuing its investigation and questioning Sharif to gather further information. Officials are examining the available digital evidence and other details to determine whether the accused had any role in the alleged threat and whether other individuals may also be involved.
Further details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses and the Crime Branch establishes the identities, motives and links of those allegedly connected with the threat.
–IANS
jk/vd
