Owner of explosives-laden 4X4 parked near Ambani's home found dead

The owner of the explosives-filled 4X4 parked near businessman Mukesh Ambani’s Mumbai home was found dead on Friday.

Police in Thane pulled his body out of a creek, news agency ANI quoted an officer as saying. A case of accidental death has been filed.

As news of the development spread, the opposition BJP demanded answers and a thorough investigation into the case.

“We just learnt about this. It is a very big incident and the police are investigating. Please let us get proper information,” Shiv Sena leader and minister Aditya Thackeray said.

Also read: Police find evidence of second car used in bomb scare outside Ambani home

Asked if his government would hand over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency, Thackeray said: “We can according to the rules. It will be more appropriate for the state home minister to speak on this.”

The Scorpio was found 1.4 kilometres from Antilia, Ambani’s 27-storey home, last Wednesday. A bomb disposal squad found 20 gelatin sticks and several detonators hours later, and a handwritten letter addressed to the Reliance chairman and his wife, Nita. The letter, written in the English script but in Hindi language, threatened the industrialist, the world’s fourth richest man, saying that this was just a “trailer”, and warned that they would return better prepared to assassinate his entire family.

Also read: Owner of abandoned SUV parked near Ambani’s house traced

A day later, the police learnt that the car was stolen from Vikhroli area. The 4X4 had a wrong number plate; it was initially thought to match a vehicle that is part of Ambani’s security detail. However, that theory was abandoned as it was determined to be a fake.

The gelatin was not military grade but of the commercial kind that is usually used in construction, digging or mining, police sources said.

In a statement, Reliance said: “We are thankful to Mumbai police for their quick and immediate action. We are confident that Mumbai police will complete their thorough investigation quickly.”