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‘He was radicalised, wanted to attack Hindus’: Fadnavis on man who stabbed guards in Mira Road
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also said the suspect had a “desire” to target members of the Hindu community “in the name of jihad”.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday reacted to the suspected "lone wolf" attack in Mira Road and said it appears to be a case of self-radicalisation, as investigators found incriminating material at the accused's residence.
He also said the suspect had a “desire” to target members of the Hindu community “in the name of jihad”.
A 31-year-old man who had returned from the United States was arrested on Monday for a knife attack that left two security guards injured in Mira Road. The case was later handed over to the Thane unit of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) after claims emerged that the accused stabbed the guards because they refused to recite a religious verse, as mentioned in an earlier HT report.
Fadnavis on “lone wolf” attack
In a statement issued by the Maharashtra chief minister’s office, Fadnavis said, “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 added.
The chief minister further said that several agencies are examining the matter, and the probe will also look beyond the accused to determine whether any larger network was involved.
“The case is currently being investigated by the Anti-Terrorism Squad and the National Investigation Agency, and the state government is providing full cooperation to these agencies. 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.
Security agencies are treating it as a suspected "lone wolf" terror attack, news agency ANI reported.
All about the case
Police said the accused, who came back to India in 2019 after spending 19 years in the United States, was arrested within three hours of the 4 am attack.
According to police, the accused, Jaib Ansari, attacked the victims, Rajkumar Mishra and Subroto Sen, at the construction site of the Asmita Grand Mansion complex in Naya Nagar in Mira Road East after an argument turned violent. Both guards suffered multiple injuries.
The incident created tension in the area as rumours about a religious angle began spreading. To calm the situation, the Thane ATS reached the spot, while Naya Nagar police shifted the injured men to a hospital.
After checking CCTV footage from the area, police tracked down the accused and took him into custody. “We are investigating to determine the specific motive behind the attack,” said an officer from the Naya Nagar police station, adding that the accused appears highly educated.
The ATS is verifying the allegations made by some right-wing leaders and examining the accused’s background.
With inputs from agencies
