Finally, after an intense manhunt, the Mumbai police have arrested a man who sent repeated threat mails to Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani. The accused had sent multiple mails recently in which he demanded crores of money from the billionaire. The Mumbai police and the cybercrime department have launched a probe and have now nabbed the accused. 

According to ANI, the Gamdevi police in Mumbai have apprehended the accused from Telangana and the accused has been identified as Ganesh Ramesh Vanpardhi. After arresting him, the police produced him before the court following which he was sent to police custody till November 8. 

Earlier, Mukesh Ambani's security in-charge had filed a plaint based on which an FIR was lodged. Over a week after he sent a first threat mail, the police have remanded the accused. On October 27, Mukesh Ambani received the first threat mail in which the suspect demanded Rs 20 crore. Though an FIR was filed against the sender following the first mail, he again sent another threat mail the next day. 

In the second email, the suspect had demanded Rs 200 crore and on October 30, Ambani's company had received the third mail in which the sender doubled the demand as he sought Rs 400 crore. The third threat mail was sent to Ambani in just four days and in the wake of back-to-back intimidations, the Mumbai police launched an intense manhunt to arrest the accused. 

It is pertinent to note that the Mumbai Police had last year arrested a man from Darbhanga in Bihar for making death threat calls to Mukesh Ambani and his family members. The accused had also threatened to blow up Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai.  

Mukesh Ambani's security detail

Mukesh Ambani was under the 'Z' category security cover from 2013 until late 2022. Z category is a security detail that comes with 22 personnel, including four to six NSG commandos and police personnel and it is considered as third-highest level of protection in India. However, in September 2022, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has upgraded Mukesh Ambani's security cover to Z+ after the intelligence input on a threat. 

It was reported that the recommendation to upgrade Mukesh Ambani's security cover to Z+ was formalised by the Home Ministry after receiving inputs about the perceived threat to the billionaire by central intelligence and security agencies. With the Z+ security cover, Mukesh Ambani has been guarded by a total of forty to fifty commandos including ten NSG commandos besides police personnel. 

Even the Supreme Court of India had earlier this year has directed authorities to provide Mukesh Ambani and his family members with a higher level of security cover throughout India and abroad. The court has also said that the entire cost of providing highest level of Z+ security cover in India and abroad shall be taken care by the Ambani family. Notably, the discussions about upgrading Mukesh Ambani's security cover started two years ago. 

In 2021, Mukesh Ambani and his family was placed in high alert following a bomb scare outside his residence. In February 2021, a Scorpio car with 20 gelatin sticks was found parked close to Mukesh Ambani's residence, Antilia in Mumbai. The bomb scare case was taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and assistant police inspector Sachin Waze was apprehended for plotting the entire scene. 

In August 2022, Mumbai police had detained 56-year-old jeweller Vishnu Vidhu Bhowmik for threatening Mukesh Ambani and his family members. According to the police, Bhowmik made nine threat calls to Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai and threatened to harm Ambani and his family members. Bhowmik was taken into custody from his residence in Dahisar near Borivali area. A month after this incident, Mukesh Ambani was awarded an upgraded security cover under Z+ category.