Threat to Ambanis: Court sends accused jeweller to custody till Aug 20

A holiday court here on Tuesday remanded a jeweller, arrested for allegedly threatening to kill industrialist Mukesh Ambani and his family members, to police custody till August 20.

The police had on Monday arrested the jeweller, Bishnu Vidu Bhoumik (56), for allegedly calling up the landline number of Reliance Foundation Hospital here and threatening to kill Ambani and his family members.

Bhoumik, who runs a jewellery shop in south Mumbai, was apprehended from suburban Dahisar.

The police produced the accused before the holiday court of additional chief metropolitan magistrate S V Dindokar, and sought his custody stating that they want to probe the motive behind the calls.

The police further informed the court that the accused seemed to be a habitual offender and hence, they wanted to conduct a thorough probe to ascertain if any other person was involved in the case.

Opposing the remand plea, Bhoumik's lawyer Vijaykumar Mane argued his client was not directly related to the case as the phone calls were made to the private hospital and not to Ambani, who is the chairman & managing director of Reliance Industries.

Mane also told the court that the accused was mentally ill and undergoing psychiatric treatment.

After hearing both sides, the court remanded the accused to police custody till August 20.

According to the police, Bhoumik had allegedly made nine calls on the landline number of Reliance Foundation Hospital in Girgaum around 10.30 am on Monday and threatened to kill Ambani and his family members. He had also allegedly hurled abuses.

A case was registered against him at the D B Marg police station under section 506 (2) of the Indian Penal Code for criminal intimidation.

In February 2021, a sports utility vehicle (SUV) laden with explosives was found near Ambani's south Mumbai residence 'Antilia'. Later, some people, including the then- police officer Sachin Waze, were arrested in connection with the incident.