Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde Receives Death Threat Amid Security Withdrawal Controversy
Mumbai: While the dust over the home department of the Maharashtra government withdrawing the Y-security cover for several MLAs of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has not settled down yet, deputy chief minister Shinde himself has received a death threat. The Mumbai police on Thursday received emails threatening to blow up the Shiv Sena leader’s car and security around Shinde has been heightened by police following the threat.
According to Mumbai Police, an unidentified person sent an email to Goregaon Police station threatening to detonate a bomb in Shinde’s car. Similar threat emails were also received at Mantralaya, the state secretariat, and JJ Marg Police Station.
The Mumbai Police and the Crime Branch have launched an investigation to trace the sender’s IP address. Preliminary investigations suggest that the email could be a hoax, but security agencies are assessing the credibility of the threat, said police officials.
In response to the threat, security around Shinde has been heightened, with additional police deployment and surveillance measures in place. Shinde on Thursday was in Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta.
The death threats to Shinde have come on the backdrop of the state home department under chief minister Devendra Fadnavis withdrawing the Y-security cover for as many as 20 MLAs of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, sources said. While the security cover for some MLAs from the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has also been reduced, the number is much less than those from the Shiv Sena and it left the Shinde supporter MLAs fuming.
This is not the first time Shinde has received death threats. In February 2024, the Mumbai crime branch had arrested a 19-year-old student from Pune for allegedly giving death threats to Shinde, who was then the chief minister, and his son and MP Shrikant Shinde via social media.
According to Mumbai Police, the accused identified as Shubham Warkad is a first-year student, who is a native of Nanded district and had been studying in Pune. Police had registered a case against the accused under sections 506(2) and 505(1)(B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
