The accused, identified as Zaib Zubair Ansari, was apprehended nearly an hour after he stabbed two security guards at an under-construction building site in the Mira Road area on Monday. According to investigators, the attack occurred after the guards failed to recite an Islamic declaration of faith when questioned about their religion.
Authorities revealed that Ansari had lived in the United States with his parents from 2000 to 2020 before returning to India after his work permit expired. Preliminary findings indicate that he had been consuming radical content and studying sensitive locations across Mumbai, along with tactical material associated with lone-wolf attacks.
Investigative agencies are now examining records from his two-decade stay in the United States to determine whether his radicalisation began there or after his return to India. A former chemistry teacher who had worked at a local coaching centre, Ansari is also being probed for potential intentions to develop explosive or chemical devices.
Officials suspect that the stabbing of the security personnel may not have been a random act, but rather a calculated attempt to assess the response time of security forces.
During a search operation at his residence in Mira Road, located approximately 200 metres from the incident site, the state Anti-Terrorism Squad recovered a handwritten note referencing lone-wolf attacks and the terrorist organisation Islamic State. A laptop and three copies of the Quran were also seized as part of the investigation.
According to reports, the handwritten note indicated Ansari’s desire to join the Islamic State, with references to jihad and Gaza. He reportedly described the attack on the guards as his “first step” towards becoming part of a terrorist organisation.
After returning to India in 2020, Ansari resided in the Kurla area of Mumbai and later in Vashi in neighbouring Navi Mumbai before moving to Mira Road in 2022. He had been living alone at the Smita Regency building in Naya Nagar since then. His wife, reportedly of Afghan origin, is said to have left him and returned to the United States.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the accused appeared to have undergone “self-radicalisation,” as the investigation continues to uncover the extent of his activities and possible intentions.
The case has triggered heightened concern among security agencies, with the discovery of radical material and strategic reconnaissance pointing to a potentially larger threat beyond the immediate attack.
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