Owner of abandoned SUV parked near Ambani's house traced

The owner of the abandoned SUV, found with explosives near Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani’s Mumbai home on February 25, has been traced, the police said.

The car was reportedly stolen from the Vikroli area of Mumbai. Despite the car’s chassis number being slightly damaged, the police were able to identify its real owner.

The car had a handwritten letter inside addressed to Mukesh Ambani and his wife, Neeta, Mumbai police said. Visuals of a man in a mask and a hoodie parking the car has been captured in security footage. Neither the details of the letter were revealed nor has the man been identified yet.

A few number plates have also been found in the green-coloured Scorpio that was parked on Carmichael Road in south Mumbai, close to Mukesh Ambani’s ‘Antilia’ home.

Twenty gelatin sticks, of commercial make used in construction, digging or mining, according to police, were found in the car by the bomb disposal squad, the police said on Thursday. A Mumbai  police spokesperson said the number plate of the SUV matched that of a vehicle on Mukesh Ambani’s security details.

Also read: FIR filed after vehicle with explosives found near Mukesh Ambani’s house

The police, meanwhile, is gathering CCTV footage from various parts of the city to track the route of the car.

Policemen have been stationed outside Antilia. Another Innova car is also being investigated.

“Police have deployed police personnel across the city and are conducting searches. The vehicle has been seized for investigation. A letter has been found inside the suspicious vehicle,” Mumbai Police said on Thursday.

Also read: Ambani’s wealth doubled during pandemic, says Oxfam study

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh tweeted about the incident. “Twenty gelatin explosives sticks were found in a Scorpio van in the vicinity of industrialist Mukesh Ambani”s residence in Mumbai. The Mumbai Crime Branch police is investigating the matter and the findings will be out soon.”

‘Antilia’ is a 27-storey house–in which the Ambanis live in the top six floors–and is one of the world’s largest private homes with three helipads, a 168-car garage, a ballroom, high speed elevators, a theatre, swimming pool, and a snow room.