Two days before Melbourne Meets Modi, the Australian Federal Police has closed the immediate chapter on an online death threat posted against him. The person responsible has been identified, spoken to, and formally warned. The event goes ahead.
“Following an assessment of the matter, the young person was issued a formal warning,” an AFP spokesperson confirmed on 6 July 2026. “There is no current or impending risk to the community.”
The threat surfaced on 4 July beneath a Facebook post by the Australia India Foundation promoting Melbourne Meets Modi, a community event scheduled for 9 July at Marvel Stadium. The comment, posted from an account named Abu Mustafa, read: “The rooftops of the stadium better close during the event or he will be coming to Australia for his death.” The matter was referred to the AFP the same day it appeared online.
AFP investigators traced the IP address linked to the account and spoke to the person on 3 July. No arrests have been made. The AFP has not confirmed the age, identity or location of the individual beyond describing them as a young person.
Modi’s Melbourne visit: what is on the schedule
Modi arrives in Australia on 8 July as the second stop of a three-nation Indo-Pacific tour that begins in Indonesia and concludes in New Zealand. His Melbourne programme runs from 8 to 10 July.
| Event | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Bilateral talks with PM Albanese | 8 July | Australia-India Annual Leaders’ Summit |
| Call on Governor-General Sam Mostyn | 8 July | Official protocol visit |
| India-Australia CEOs Forum | 8 July | Business and trade engagement |
| Melbourne Meets Modi | 9 July | Marvel Stadium, Indian diaspora community event |
The Melbourne Meets Modi event is expected to draw thousands of Indian-Australian community members. It is organised by the Australia India Foundation, a diaspora community group, and is one of the most anticipated Indian community events in Australia in recent years. Security arrangements have been heightened for the duration of the visit, coordinated by the AFP, Victorian Police and specialist protection units.
What is the AFP’s role in protecting visiting heads of government?
What is the AFP’s protective security role?
The Australian Federal Police holds primary responsibility for the protective security of visiting foreign heads of government in Australia under the Australian Government Protective Security Policy Framework. This includes threat assessment, close protection, coordination with state and territory police, and liaison with the visiting dignitary’s own security detail. Online threats against visiting leaders are assessed as a standard part of pre-visit security protocols. A formal warning, as issued in this case, is a recognised AFP response to low-level threats assessed as posing no credible physical risk.
The AFP’s use of a formal warning rather than an arrest or charge signals that the investigation concluded the threat did not constitute a credible or imminent danger. Under Australian law, threats against foreign dignitaries can constitute a criminal offence. The AFP confirmed it takes “the safety and security of federal parliamentarians, high office holders and international dignitaries seriously” and that any suspected criminal behaviour, including threats and harassment, will be investigated.
The broader context: India-Australia relations
Modi’s visit is the first by an Indian Prime Minister to Australia since May 2023, when he attended the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Sydney. The 2026 visit carries greater bilateral weight: the Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed in 2020, is due for a substantive review, and trade negotiations under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement are at an advanced stage.
For the 900,000-strong Indian-Australian community, the Melbourne visit is also personal. Modi’s address at Marvel Stadium will be the largest gathering of Indian-Australians at a single event in the country’s history, according to organisers. The India diaspora in Australia has grown by more than 40% over the past decade, making it the fastest-growing major diaspora community in the country.
The online threat, and the AFP’s swift resolution of it, sits within a wider pattern of security concerns around high-profile Indian government events in Australia. The 2023 Quad summit in Sydney required extensive security cordons across the city. The Melbourne event, at an enclosed stadium venue, was always going to involve significant logistical security planning.
The AFP’s confirmation that there is no current or impending risk is the operative statement. The event proceeds.
What the Indian-Australian community needs to know
Marvel Stadium‘s management has not issued any changes to the ticketing or entry arrangements for Melbourne Meets Modi as of 6 July 2026. Attendees should expect heightened security screening at entry points, consistent with any large-scale event involving an international head of government.
The AFP and Victorian Police will maintain an elevated security presence throughout the visit. Members of the public attending the event are asked to arrive early to allow time for security checks and to follow all directions from event staff and police.
The Australia India Foundation has not issued a public statement on the threat or the AFP warning.
