The iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel of Mumbai allegedly received a threat call, where the caller claimed to have plans to blow up the luxury hotel. The Mumbai police has since beefed up security around the hotel.
Sources claimed that a threat call was received yesterday from Karachi to blow up the hotel with bombs.
A senior official at the Taj, requesting anonymity, confirmed the call on Monday night and said: "We have informed the police about the call, and we are cooperating with them, too. The police is investigating the issue, and trying to ascertain whether it is a hoax call or a threat." Nonetheless, the police has tightened security around the vicinity.
The Taj Mahal Palace hotel is over 117 years old, and has hosted thousands of guests including national and international celebrities, bureaucrats and political personalities.
The luxury hotel is a part of Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), which is owned by the Tata Group.
The threat call and the tightened security could scare the guests and employees. An IHCL spokesperson said in a statement: "The safety of our guests and associates is of paramount importance to us. Our safety and security teams have ensured that all our protocols and guidelines are being followed towards safeguarding lives and assets. We would like to reassure our guests and associates that all adequate steps are being taken towards the safety of the premises.”
Twelve years ago, the Taj Mahal Palace, among other places in Mumbai, was attacked by terrorists. Over 180 people were killed during the course of the three-day attack.
While this isn't the first time a hotel has received a threat call, considering the earlier attack, the enforcement authorities are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the safety of the hotel guests and others.
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.