Mumbai Horror: Man Asks Guards To Recite 'Kalma', Then Stabs Them

A 31-year-old man has been arrested in Mumbai’s Naya Nagar area for allegedly stabbing two security guards after asking their religion in what authorities suspect could be a religiously motivated attack.

According to police officials quoted by PTI, the knife-wielding accused, identified as Jabbar Zubair Ansari, carried out the attack in the early hours of Monday. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has launched an investigation into the incident.

Eyewitnesses said Ansari initially approached the guards to ask for directions before returning and questioning them about their religion. It is also claimed that he forced one of the guards to recite the ‘Islamic Kalma’ and, when he failed, attacked both men with a sharp-edged weapon.

The two injured guards, Rajkumar Mishra and Subroto Sen, were on duty at an under-construction building behind Wockhardt Hospital when the incident took place around 4 am.

Following the assault, a police team reached the spot and admitted Mishra to Wockhardt Hospital. Mishra remains in critical condition, while Sen is also undergoing treatment.

How Was Mumbai Knife Attack Accused Arrested And What Charges Were Filed?

The accused was arrested within 90 minutes of the attack and taken to Naya Nagar Police Station, where a case was registered against him on charges including attempted murder and promoting enmity between two groups.

He was later produced before a court in Thane and remanded to police custody till May 4.

Security agencies are treating the incident as a possible "lone wolf" terror attack. During a search of Ansari’s residence, investigators recovered handwritten notes in which he expressed a desire to join ISIS.

According to sources, the notes described the attack as his "first step" towards joining a terrorist organisation, according to Maharashtra ATS.

Ansari, a science graduate born in Mumbai’s Kurla area, had lived in the United States for several years after going there for studies.

He returned to India in 2019 after failing to secure a job and had been living alone in Mira Road, where he provided online chemistry coaching.

Investigators believe that Ansari became radicalised during his isolation through online content. Agencies are now examining the digital footprints of his mobile phone and laptop to determine whether he was in contact with any handlers across the border.

(With inputs from ANI)