Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s personal residence ‘Matoshree’ in Bandra here has received calls in which the caller allegedly threatened to blow it up, the CMO said in a statement on Sunday.
According to police, ‘Matoshree’ received two calls on Saturday night from a man, who said he was calling from Dubai on behalf of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Following this, the police have beefed up security at the bungalow located in Kalanagar Colony, a police official said.
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said the State cabinet, which met here on Sunday on the eve of the two-day monsoon session of State legislature, expressed concern over the threat call and sought Centre’s intervention in the matter.
State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh told the cabinet that the crime branch was investigating the matter.
“State CM Uddhav Thackeray’s residence ‘Matoshree’ received anonymous threat call that it be would blown up. The state cabinet which met today, expressed concern over it and condemned it,” the CMO statement said.
“The cabinet sought the Centre’s intervention in the case. The ministers said the guilty should be brought to bookand strict action should be taken,” it added.
A police official said, “Someone called up on ’Matoshree’ phone number two times on Saturday night and said Dawood Ibrahim wanted to talk to CM Uddhav Thackeray. However, the telephone operator did not transfer the call to the CM.”
“The caller did not reveal his identity, but only said that he was calling from Dubai on behalf of Dawood Ibrahim. Both the calls were received around 10.30 p.m.,” he said.
The local police were later informed about the calls, following which extra security force was deployed outside the bungalow, the official added.
According to him, no case was registered in this connection.
Talking to PTI , a top police official said, “We are trying to verify whether the calls received were from Dubai or some other place. Investigation is on.”
State Transport Minister Anil Parab, however, dismissed reports that the caller gave a threat to blow up the chief minister’s residence.
“There was no threat to blow up ‘Matoshree’,” he said.
“As per the preliminary information, the caller said he wasDawood Ibrahim’s aide and wanted to speak to the Chief Minister. Police have been informed about the calls and a probe is on,” the Shiv Sena leader said.
