Australia probes threat to PM Modi ahead of Melbourne visit next week

Australian authorities said they are probing an online threat targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi days before his scheduled trip to Melbourne.

Local media reports said the threat appeared as a comment on a Facebook post promoting the “Melbourne Meets Modi” community event at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on July 9. According to the reports, investigators are looking into the source of the comment and whether any criminal offence has been committed.

The Australia Today report said the matter was referred to the Australian Federal Police on the same day it appeared online. Other reports added that police have identified an IP address associated with the post and are examining the circumstances around it. An Australian Federal Police spokesperson said no arrests had been made in connection with the case.

The investigation comes ahead of Modi’s visit to Australia from July 8 to July 10. During the trip, he is expected to meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and take part in community engagements, including the Melbourne event.