CM Fadnavis reacts to Mumbai guards stabbing incident, says 'accused wanted to target Hindus'

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has described the Mira Road stabbing, in which a man attacked two security guards after asking them to recite the Kalima, as a case of self-radicalisation.

The man who stabbed two security guards in Mumbai's Mira Road area after asking them to recite the Islamic Kalima had written in his own hand that the attack was his "first step" towards joining a terrorist organisation. That detail, recovered from handwritten notes found at his residence, has led Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to describe the incident as a case of self-radicalisation, and investigators are now working to determine whether anyone else was behind it.

Addressing the incident on Tuesday, Fadnavis said preliminary investigations pointed clearly to radicalisation as the driving force. "This appears to be a case of self-radicalisation. Some books and incriminating material were recovered from the accused's residence. He lived in the United States and had recently returned. Preliminary investigations have revealed that he was radicalised and had a desire to attack members of the Hindu community in the name of jihad, which led him to carry out this incident," he said.

Fadnavis was equally clear that the investigation would not stop at the accused. "The scope of the investigation will not be limited to the accused, but it will also investigate the individuals or networks behind his radicalisation. The entire case will be thoroughly investigated to uncover any possible conspiracy," he added, confirming that both the Anti-Terrorism Squad and the National Investigation Agency are handling the case with full state cooperation.

How the attack unfolded

The attack took place on April 27 near Asmita Grand Mansion in the Naya Nagar area of Mira Road. The accused, identified as Jabar Zubair Ansari, 31, targeted two security guards on duty at the site. According to eyewitnesses, Ansari first approached the guards asking for directions, then returned to ask their religion. He subsequently asked one of the guards to recite the Kalima, the Islamic declaration of faith, and when the guard was unable to do so, Ansari attacked both men with a sharp-edged weapon. Both guards were hospitalised and are currently receiving treatment.

What investigators found

When police searched Ansari's home following his arrest, they found handwritten notes in which he had expressed his desire to join ISIS. In those notes, according to Maharashtra ATS, Ansari described the stabbing as his "first step" towards joining a terrorist organisation.

Investigators have established that Ansari was a science graduate who had lived in the United States for several years before returning to India after failing to find stable employment. Back home, he lived alone in Mira Road and earned a living giving online chemistry coaching. Agencies believe that during this period of isolation, he consumed extremist content online and gradually became radicalised.

His mobile phone and laptop are now being examined to determine whether he was in direct contact with any handlers operating from across the border.

(With ANI inputs)