Dawood Has Planted a Bomb at Taj Hotel: Hoax Call Triggers Major Security Scare in Mumbai

A chilling midnight call triggered a major security scare at Mumbai's iconic Taj Hotel , after an anonymous caller claimed that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim had planted an explosive device inside the heritage property. According to officials, the threat was received at around 12:13 am when a man phoned the Navi Mumbai Police Control Room and allegedly declared, "Dawood has planted a bomb at the Taj Hotel."

The information was immediately relayed to the Mumbai Police Main Control Room , setting off a swift, coordinated response. Teams from the Colaba Police , the Crime Branch , and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad rushed to the hotel and combed through the main lobby, swimming pool, banquet halls, restaurants, parking area, and other sensitive corners of the property.

After an exhaustive inspection, police confirmed no suspicious object or explosive was found, and declared the threat a hoax. A technical investigation traced the call to the Turbhe area of Navi Mumbai. Police have now launched a search to identify and arrest the caller based on the mobile number used, working closely with the local Turbhe Police to trace and apprehend the suspect.

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel holds deep significance in Mumbai's security history, having been one of the primary targets during the devastating 26/11 terror attacks of 2008, in which 166 people lost their lives and hundreds more were injured.

Notably, this scare comes just a day after a nearly identical hoax targeted Delhi's Red Fort . In that case, a caller phoned the Mumbai Police Control Room claiming the historic monument would be blown up, prompting Mumbai Police to alert their Delhi counterparts, who in turn mobilised the North District Police . Bomb disposal squads carried out an extensive sanitisation of the Red Fort premises before that threat too was declared false.

With both hoax calls routed through Mumbai's police network within twenty four hours of each other, investigators are now examining whether the two incidents are linked, and whether a single caller or network is behind the coordinated scare. Authorities have reiterated that hoax bomb threats strain critical security personnel and carry strict legal consequences, urging the public against making false calls that trigger citywide panic.