SBI’s corp office receives threat calls, fake Pakistan caller traced to West Bengal

Mumbai: Months after the city police helpline number received WhatsApp messages on 26/11-like terror attacks in the city, State Bank of India (SBI)’s corporate centre in Nariman Point becomes the next target for threat callers

Mumbai: Months after the city police helpline number received WhatsApp messages on 26/11-like terror attacks in the city, State Bank of India (SBI)’s corporate centre in Nariman Point becomes the next target for threat callers.

Mumbai, India - October 14, 2022: State Bank of India building, at Nariman Point, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, October 14, 2022. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

According to the Marine Drive police, a caller, claiming to be from ‘Pakistan’ threatened to blow up the bank’s office, and kidnap and murder its chairperson, if a loan of ₹10 lakh was not sanctioned to him within the next seven days.

The complaint is lodged by Ajay Shrivastav, the assistant general manager (security) at SBI.

According to the complainant, on Wednesday and Thursday, a person who identified himself as MD Ziya Ul-Ali called SBI’s Corporate Centre in Nariman Point. He called on the board line on both days, demanding that he should be allowed to speak to the personal assistant of the chairman and issued the threat when the request was denied.

“The caller claimed to be calling from Pakistan. He stated if he was not issued a loan of ₹10 lakh in the next seven days, he will kidnap the chairperson Dinesh Kumar Khara and kill him. He also threatened to blow up the corporate centre,” said a police officer.

“We have traced the call to West Bengal and soon a team will visit the state and try to locate the caller. When we inquired with the bank, nobody with the caller’s name had even applied for a loan there,” said a police officer.

“We have registered an offence under section 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, a cognizable and non-bailable section,” said Vishvanath Kolekar, senior police inspector of Marine Drive police station.

The representatives of SBI did not respond to calls for their response in the matter.

After threat calls to Mumbai police made on August 20, on 26/11-like terror attacks in the city, callers, claiming to be from Somalia also threatened the police of terrorist attacks across Mumbai in the wake of terror strikes in the African country.