Security guards stabbed in suspected hate crime in Mumbai’s Mira Road; ATS joins probe

In what is being perceived as a communal hate crime, two security guards were allegedly stabbed in Mumbai after being asked about their religion in the early hours of April 27. The incident took place at an under-construction building named Asmita Grand Mansion behind Wockhardt Hospital in the Naya Nagar area of Mira Road.

According to media reports and the First Information Report (FIR), the accused, identified as Zaib Zubair Ansari, asked the guards — Rajkumar Mishra and Subroto Sen– about their religion and demanded that they recite the kalma. When they were unable to do so, he allegedly attacked them with a knife.

Sequence of Events

As per Subroto Sen’s statement in the FIR, an unknown individual approached him around 3 am and asked if there was a mosque nearby. Sen directed him to one but said he did not know its exact name. The man then asked Sen if he was Hindu, to which Sen replied in the affirmative. The individual left but was spotted again later on the road.

Around 4 am, Sen went to an Irani tea stall near Rassaz Cinema for tea, where he again saw the same individual. He returned to his duty post around 4:30 am. Shortly after, the man approached him again, grabbed his right hand, and, while asking if he was Hindu, attacked him with a knife. Sen attempted to defend himself but sustained injuries to his back before managing to break free and run toward the supervisor’s cabin.

Sen stated that as he was informing supervisor Rajkumar Mishra about the incident, the attacker entered the cabin, questioned Mishra about his religion, and again demanded that he recite the kalma. When Mishra failed to do so, he too was stabbed. Fearing for his life, Sen fled and hid behind the building.

After a few minutes, Sen called Mishra, who was crying and reportedly said, “I will die.” By the time Sen returned to the cabin, Mishra had been taken to a hospital for treatment.

Police Action and Investigation

Based on Sen’s complaint, Naya Nagar police registered a case and, within 90 minutes, identified and arrested the accused using CCTV footage. Ansari was apprehended from a rented residence in Naya Nagar, where he was living alone.

According to media reports, Ansari had completed a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in the United States until 2019 before returning to India. He had reportedly been working as a teacher at a coaching centre, teaching chemistry and mathematics until a few months ago.

Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has launched an investigation into the attack on two security guards near the Asmita Grand Mansion in the Naya Nagar area of ​​Mira Road on 27th April. Security agencies are treating it as a possible “lone wolf” terror attack. The accused,…

— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2026

During a search of his residence, police reportedly recovered handwritten notes in which he expressed a desire to join ISIS. Sources cited in reports claim that the notes described the attack as a “first step” toward joining the terrorist organisation. The seriousness of the case has led to the involvement of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), alongside Mumbai Police.

Investigating agencies were examining Ansari’s mobile phone and laptop to trace his digital footprint and determine whether he was in contact with any handlers across borders.

A report by NDTV, citing sources, stated that the recovered notes contained words such as “ISIS,” “lone wolf,” “jihad,” and “Gaza.”

Ansari’s lawyer Abdul Wahab Khan, however, told Indian Express that the notes were “planted”. “He was arrested and taken to the police station and detained there. His house was not sealed and was lying open. This evidence is planted; anything could have been tailored and fabricated as the house was not sealed immediately. These allegations cannot be substantiated.”

Legal Charges and Motive

According to a report by The Times of India, police have invoked charges including attempt to murder and assault. Additionally, the accused has been booked under Section 196(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to promoting enmity between groups based on religion, race, language, or caste.

While these charges have intensified speculation that the attack may have had a religious motive, the Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Police have not officially confirmed any communal angle.

The Mira Road incident remains under active investigation. Authorities are examining whether the attack was driven by communal motives or linked to possible radicalisation and extremist affiliations. Both Mumbai Police and the Maharashtra ATS are conducting a detailed probe into the accused’s background, intent, and potential connections.

The incident rings back memories of the Pahalgam attack in April 2025 in which terrorists singled out and killed 25 Hindu tourists in Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley. Again, in July 2023, Railway Protection Force constable Chetan Singh shot dead his senior officer and three Muslim passengers on the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express, in an act labeled as a premeditated communal hate crime.