- Man arrested for attacking guards after asking their religion studied maps of Mumbai's sensitive areas
- Zaib Zubair Ansari was arrested for stabbing 2 security guards at an under-construction building site
- He used to watch radical videos and tactical manuals for 'lone wolf' attacks, sources said
A man arrested for allegedly attacking two security guards after asking their religion in Maharashtra's Thane had also studied maps of sensitive areas in Mumbai, sources have told NDTV.
The 31-year-old accused, Zaib Zubair Ansari, was arrested about an hour after he stabbed the guards at an under-construction building site in the Mira Road area after they failed to recite the 'Kalma' or 'Kalima', which are the foundational doctrines of Islam, early on Monday.
Ansari had lived in the United States with his parents from 2000 to 2020. He returned to India after his work permit expired in 2020.
He used to watch radical videos and was studying maps of sensitive areas in Mumbai and tactical manuals for 'lone wolf' attacks, sources said.
Investigators are now scouring records pertaining to the 20 years he spent in the US to determine whether his radicalisation began on foreign soil or after his return to India.
Since Ansari was a former chemistry teacher who worked at a local coaching centre, the officials are also probing whether he was planning to make explosives or chemical devices.
Sources also believe that his attack on the guards was not a coincidence but an attempt to gauge the response time of the security forces.
'Lone Wolf, Wanted To Join ISIS'
A handwritten note referring to 'lone wolf' attacks and the terror group the Islamic State has been recovered from Ansari.
During a search of his residence in Mira Road, about 200 metres from the incident site, the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which has taken over the probe, recovered a note referring to lone wolf attacks and the Islamic State, a laptop, and three copies of the Quran.
In the notes, he expressed his desire to join the IS, sources said. Words like 'jihad' and 'Gaza' were also found scribbled in his notes.
Ansari reportedly described the attack on guards as his "first step" towards joining a terrorist organisation.
After his work permit expired, he returned to India in 2020 and stayed in the Kurla area of Mumbai and Vashi in neighbouring Navi Mumbai for some time.
Since 2022, he has been living alone at the Smita Regency building in Naya Nagar, Mira Road.
His wife, who is of Afghan origin, had reportedly left him and gone to the US.
"Case Of Self-Radicalisation"
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the 31-year-old seemed to have undergone "self-radicalisation".
Fadnavis, who also heads the home ministry, said the accused was apparently influenced by online content and books and acquired an extremist mindset.
"It seems to be a case of self-radicalisation. The individual appears to have been influenced by certain content and developed an understanding of concepts like 'jihad' and killing people of other religions," he told reporters on Tuesday.
He said that they are utilising the expertise of the Anti-Terrorism Squad and the National Investigation Agency to investigate his links and determine who else might be behind this or whether others have been similarly influenced by this radical ideology.
