Thane, A knife-wielding man, who returned to India from the US in 2019, allegedly stabbed and seriously injured two security guards in Maharashtra’s Thane district in the wee hours of Monday in a suspected religiously motivated attack, police officials said.
The accused, Zaib Zubair Ansari , was arrested within 90 minutes of the crime even as the state Anti-Terrorism Squad took over investigation into the attack in the Mira Road area, a suburb of Mumbai, from the local police, they said.
A motive was not yet known, but the officials indicated a possible religious angle in the case.
According to an official release issued by the Mira-Bhayander, Vasai-Virar Police Commissionerate, the incident occurred at around 4 am at an under-construction building located behind Wockhardt Hospital within the limits of Nayanagar Police Station.
The victims, identified as Rajkumar Mishra and Subroto Ramesh Sen, were allegedly attacked with a knife by Ansari, it said.
Following the assault, a police team rushed to the spot and admitted Mishra to Wockhardt Hospital.
The attack occurred when Ansari allegedly questioned Mishra over some issue. An altercation ensued between the duo during which Ansari first stabbed Mishra and then Sen, who was standing nearby, an official said.
Mishra’s condition remains critical, while Sen is also receiving medical care, he said.
Ansari has drawn the ATS attention due to his background, leading the anti-terror agency to take over the probe, according to the official.
As per sources, police found some incriminating materials regarding the alleged attacker which led the ATS to probe in the case.
Ansari was born in Mumbai’s Kurla area and was currently living alone in Nayanagar in Mira Road. He went to America for studies and returned in 2019, said the sources.
As security agencies have recovered incriminating documents and videos from his mobile phone, they are also examining whether the accused was preparing for a “lone wolf” attack, they said.
An ATS team questioned Ansari in Mira Road and also conducted a search at his residence.
“Based on CCTV footage from the scene, the accused was identified and apprehended within one and a half hours,” the MBVV police stated in the release.
A case was registered at the Nayanagar Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita , including sections pertaining to attempt to murder.
The release further noted that “In view of the seriousness and scope of the incident, further investigation has been transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Squad .”
The investigation is currently being monitored by Special Inspector General of Police Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.