A 31-year-old man has been arrested and remanded to Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) custody until May 4 after attacking two security guards at a construction site in Mira Road early Monday morning, police officials confirmed.
Incident Details
The accused, identified as Zaib Zubair Ansari, allegedly targeted the guards after questioning them about their religion, according to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the victims. The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday at a construction site in Mira Road, a suburb of Mumbai.
First Attack
In his police complaint, one of the victims, Subroto Sen, stated that the attacker first approached him around 3 a.m. while he was on duty. Ansari asked for the address of a local mosque, and when Sen provided it, Ansari asked if he knew the mosque's name. When Sen replied negatively, Ansari asked, 'Are you a Hindu?' Sen confirmed his religion, and Ansari left.
Sen said the accused returned approximately 90 minutes later and attacked him with a knife. 'He returned around 4:30 a.m.,' Sen stated, 'and saying, 'You are a Hindu, correct?' he held my right hand and pulled out a knife to stab me. I tried to evade the attack and was stabbed in the back.'
Second Attack
After escaping, Sen ran into the cabin of supervisor Rajkumar Mishra, but the attacker followed him, according to the FIR. 'He asked Mishra, 'Tu bhi Hindu hain na?' (You too are a Hindu, aren't you?) and then asked him to recite the 'kalma'. When Mishra couldn't recite it, he stabbed him in the stomach,' Sen recounted.
Both victims were later rushed to the hospital with the help of local residents. A resident who assisted in the rescue said the guards were in shock. 'The guards were terrified and were asking for help. We took them immediately to the cops and then to the hospital,' the resident said. Police confirmed that Mishra is in the ICU but stable, while Sen sustained minor injuries on his back.
ATS Investigation
Following the arrest, the Maharashtra ATS seized electronic devices from Ansari's residence in Naya Nagar, Mira Road (East), including a laptop and mobile phones. According to officials, preliminary analysis has flagged potential extremist material. Police also recovered a letter from the house that allegedly mentioned such an attack, though further verification is underway.
Background of the Accused
Ansari had lived in the United States with his parents for several years before returning to India in 2020, officials said. He was reportedly living alone in Mira Road after separating from his wife, who had returned to the US, according to police.
Swift Arrest
Police identified Ansari through CCTV footage and apprehended him within an hour of the attack by the Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar police. Multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) have been invoked, including Section 109 (attempted murder), Section 196(1) (promoting enmity between groups on religious grounds), and Section 118(2) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt using dangerous weapons).
Investigators are now examining the digital evidence and alleged ideological material recovered from the accused's residence to determine any links to extremist groups.
