Rapido rider held for allegedly promoting Jaish-e-Mohammed posts

The accused, Mohammad Hasan Abu Sarmad Akhtar, a resident of L J Road in Mahim, was initially detained for questioning by the ATS following a tip-off. He was later handed over to the Mahim police for further investigation after the ATS found no evidence linking him to Pakistan or any group operating there, officers said

MUMBAI: A 32-year-old Rapido bike-taxi rider from Mahim was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) near Mahim Metro Station on Saturday for allegedly posting videos and comments promoting the ideology of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), including calls for ‘jihad’ and references to an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, police said.

Rapido rider held for allegedly promoting Jaish-e-Mohammed posts

The accused, Mohammad Hasan Abu Sarmad Akhtar, a resident of L J Road in Mahim, was initially detained for questioning by the ATS following a tip-off. He was later handed over to the Mahim police for further investigation after the ATS found no evidence linking him to Pakistan or any group operating there, officers said.

According to the police, Akhtar’s social media activity included derogatory comments under a post related to Modi and references to an assassination attempt on the Prime Minister along the lines of the killing of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was shot dead by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. He had also allegedly shared videos of JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar in various online groups.

Investigators found that Akhtar, who earned his livelihood by driving a Rapido bike taxi and selling perfumes, had created WhatsApp, Telegram and other online groups and was active on social media. His posts and comments allegedly called for ‘jihad’ in India and could potentially create a rift between communities, police said. He had also joined certain extremist and Pakistan-backed groups, which are under investigation, the local police said.

However, the ATS found no evidence during its preliminary inquiry to establish that Akhtar was in touch with anyone in Pakistan or had links with any organisation operating there. Officers believe he was acting on his own and using social media to vent his anger against the government by posting objectionable content.

JeM, founded by Maulana Masood Azhar, is a Pakistan-based Islamist militant group whose stated objectives include separating Jammu and Kashmir from India and merging it with Pakistan. The group has been associated with terrorist activities and the promotion of extremist ideology.

Following the ATS inquiry, Akhtar was handed over to the Mahim police for further investigation. An FIR has been registered against him under Section 196(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with promoting enmity between groups.

Calls and messages to a Rapido spokesperson seeking comment went unanswered.