I'm going to die: Victim recounts US-returned Mumbai man's knife rampage

The security guard who was stabbed by a lone attacker in the early hours of April 27 in Mumbai’s Mira Road area has recounted the sequence of events in his complaint to police, describing how the assailant targeted him and his supervisor after asking about their religion.

The attacker, a 31-year-old man named Jaib Zubair Ansari, was arrested within one-and-a-half hours of the incident. Mishra suffered serious injuries, including damage to his intestines, while Sen sustained minor injuries to his back.

HOW THE INCIDENT UNFOLDED

The guard, Subrato Sen, had reported for duty at an under-construction building around 8 pm on April 26 along with his colleagues, including supervisor Rajeshwar Mishra and other security staff. He was posted at a section of the site facing the main road.

At around 3 am, the assailant approached him and asked if there was a mosque nearby. “I told him there was one ahead on the right, but I did not know its name,” the guard said in his statement. The man then asked about his religion. “He asked me if I was a Hindu. I said yes,” he told police, adding that the man walked away but remained in the vicinity.

About an hour later, while the guard had stepped out briefly to a nearby tea stall, he again noticed the same individual. He returned to his post around 4.30 am, when the man approached him again, grabbed his arm and repeated the question about his religion. “Before I could react, he attacked me with a knife. As I tried to dodge, I was stabbed in the back,” he said.

Sen managed to free himself and ran towards Mishra’s cabin to seek help. However, the attacker followed him inside. “He confronted the supervisor and asked him about his religion, telling him to recite the Kalma. When he could not, the attacker stabbed him as well,” he stated.

Fearing for his life, Sen fled to the rear of the building and hid. After a few minutes, he called Mishra, who was crying and feared he was going to die.

When Sen later returned to the cabin, he found other people present and learnt that the supervisor had been taken to hospital. He was then escorted to the police station by a local resident. Police subsequently sent him to a government hospital for treatment before recording his formal complaint.

ATTACKER WATCHED ISIS VIDEOS: POLICE

Using CCTV footage from the area, investigators identified Ansari and tracked him to his rented residence in the Naya Nagar area in Mira Road East. A case was registered at Naya Nagar Police Station based on Sen’s complaint.

Preliminary investigation suggests that Ansari repeatedly watched ISIS-propaganda videos on the internet.

According to sources, Ansari studied in the US until 2019 before returning to India and living alone in Mira Road on rent. Investigators also found that his landlord had allegedly asked him to vacate the rented flat by May 5.

Until a few months ago, Ansari worked as a teacher at a coaching centre, where he taught chemistry and mathematics.

Meanwhile, a local court has remanded Ansari to the Anti-Terrorism Squad’s custody till May 4, during which the agency will carry out further investigation into the case. The premier anti-terror agency would also determine whether the attack had any larger ideological or extremist links. A local court has sent Ansari to ATS's custody till May 4.

FADNAVIS REACTS TO MIRA ROAD INCIDENT

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the accused was “self-radicalised”, citing his exposure to books, literature and online content.

“Overall, after looking at the case, it appears to be one of self-radicalisation. Through books, literature and the internet, the accused radicalised himself,” Fadnavis said.

The Chief Minister added that the accused acted with a jihadist motive, targeting individuals from another religion. He said investigators would probe the wider ecosystem behind the radicalisation.

- Ends