India's richest man and chairman of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani is on national headlines perhaps for the first time in a fashion of receiving back-to-back startling mails from an unknown person. For the past few days, he has been receiving threats with a demand of crores of money. On Monday - October 30, the business tycoon has received yet another threat amidst a manhunt launched by the Mumbai police to trace the suspect. 

The threat email that Ambani's company received on Monday was the third such email sent to him in just four days. In Monday's email, the suspect gave a threat to Ambani and he sought Rs 400 crore, double to what was demanded in previous emails. The Mumbai Police had on Tuesday - October 31 confirmed that the third threat email was sent to Mukesh Ambani on Monday. 

Last Friday, Mukesh Ambani received the first threat email in which the suspect demanded Rs 20 crore. Shocked by the mail, Ambani's security in-charge had filed a complaint based on which an FIR was registered at Gamdevi police station. However, a day after an FIR was filed, the suspect sent another threat email on Saturday. 

In the second email, the suspect had demanded Rs 200 crore and in two days, Ambani's company had received the third email in which the sender doubled the demand, seeking Rs 400 crore. A police official said that the Mumbai police, their crime branch and cyber teams are working to trace and nab the sender of these threat emails. 

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.