Mumbai Naya Nagar stabbing: Guard recounts religious identity attack by Ansari
Synopsis
A security guard's chilling first-person account has laid bare the sequence of a religiously-motivated knife attack in Mumbai's Naya Nagar — with the accused allegedly demanding victims recite the Kalma before stabbing them. The Maharashtra ATS is now probing whether the attacker, who reportedly had notes referencing ISIS and jihad, acted alone or had broader links.
Key Takeaways
Subroto Sen and supervisor Rajkumar Mishra were stabbed in Mumbai's Naya Nagar in the early hours of 28 April 2025 .
Accused Zaib Zuber Ansari , 31, allegedly asked victims about their religious identity and demanded they recite the Kalma before attacking them.
Ansari was arrested within approximately 90 minutes and remanded to police custody until 4 May .
The Maharashtra ATS is jointly investigating; seized devices reportedly contained notes referencing ISIS , lone wolf , jihad , and Gaza .
Authorities believe the accused was radicalised online and had previously lived in the United States .
Security guard Subroto Sen has given a detailed statement to the police describing the sequence of events during a knife attack in Mumbai's Naya Nagar in the early hours of Monday, 28 April 2025, allegedly carried out by Zaib Zuber Ansari, 31, who reportedly questioned victims about their religious identity before assaulting them. Sen and his supervisor, Rajkumar Mishra, both suffered serious injuries in the attack near Wockhardt Hospital.
How the Attack Unfolded
According to Sen's statement, accessed by IANS, the accused first approached him at around 3:00 AM, asking about a nearby mosque. When Sen confirmed he was Hindu, the accused walked away. Around 4:00 AM, Sen spotted Ansari at a tea stall. At approximately 4:30 AM, as Sen returned to his duty post, he realised the accused was following him.
"Before I could react, Zuber pulled out a knife, grabbed my arm, and attacked me," Sen stated. Despite sustaining a knife injury, Sen managed to push the attacker away and ran towards his supervisor's cabin.
"Zuber entered the cabin as well. Mishra was seated on a chair inside. Before I could explain the situation, Zuber — upon seeing Mishra — immediately demanded, 'You are a Hindu too, aren't you? If not, recite the Kalma'. Mishra was unable to recite the Kalma. Following this, Zuber began repeatedly stabbing him with the knife. Being seated in the chair, Mishra was unable to defend himself effectively," Sen recounted.
Fearing for his life, Sen fled to the rear of the building. When he called Mishra's phone shortly after, Mishra reportedly pleaded in distress, "I'm going to die! I'm going to die! Please save me!" Sen and other staff members rushed Mishra to hospital and alerted the police. According to Sen's statement, "Mishra sustained knife wounds to his abdomen and chest; he was stabbed specifically after being asked about his religious identity."
Arrest and Police Response
Police acted swiftly after the attack, reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area. Ansari was apprehended within approximately 90 minutes of the incident and brought to Naya Nagar Police Station, where a case was registered against him under sections related to attempted murder and promoting enmity between communities. He was subsequently produced before a court in Thane, which remanded him to police custody until 4 May.
Mishra managed to reach the hospital on his own despite his injuries, while Sen was assisted by a local resident, Nayab Sheikh. Both were admitted for treatment.
ATS Involvement and Radicalisation Angle
The investigation is being handled jointly by local police and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Authorities are examining electronic devices seized from the accused to determine whether the act was an isolated incident or part of a broader agenda. Preliminary findings reportedly indicate the presence of notes containing references to terms such as "ISIS", "lone wolf", "jihad", and "Gaza", according to investigators. Authorities believe the accused was radicalised through online material.
Investigators have described it as a suspected lone wolf-style attack by a potentially radicalised individual, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Background on the Accused
According to sources cited in reports, Ansari had lived in the United States for several years, with family members reportedly still residing there. He allegedly returned to India after being unable to secure employment in the US. He was living alone in the Mira Road area and reportedly earning money by conducting online chemistry classes.
As the ATS deepens its probe into the accused's digital footprint and associations, authorities are expected to clarify whether the attack was a standalone act or connected to a wider network.
Point of View
Combined with the accused's reported online radicalisation, raises hard questions about the adequacy of digital surveillance frameworks in India. That the attacker lived alone, had returned from the US after failing to find work, and was consuming extremist content online fits a well-documented global radicalisation profile — one that Indian security agencies have warned about but struggled to monitor at scale. The investigation's outcome will matter well beyond Mumbai.
NationPress
4 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Mumbai Naya Nagar stabbing on 28 April 2025?
Accused Zaib Zuber Ansari allegedly attacked two security guards, Subroto Sen and Rajkumar Mishra, with a knife near Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai's Naya Nagar in the early hours of 28 April 2025. He reportedly questioned them about their religious identity and demanded they recite the Kalma before stabbing them, leaving both seriously injured.
Who is Zaib Zuber Ansari and why was he arrested?
Zaib Zuber Ansari is a 31-year-old man from the Mira Road area of Mumbai who was arrested within approximately 90 minutes of the attack. He has been charged with attempted murder and promoting enmity between communities, and is remanded in police custody until 4 May 2025.
Is the Mumbai stabbing being investigated as a terror-related incident?
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is jointly investigating the case alongside local police. Preliminary findings reportedly show notes on seized devices referencing ISIS, lone wolf tactics, jihad, and Gaza, and authorities believe the accused was radicalised through online material, though the investigation is ongoing.
What did security guard Subroto Sen say in his police statement?
Sen stated that the accused first asked him about a mosque and his religious identity around 3:00 AM, then followed and stabbed him at approximately 4:30 AM. He described how the accused entered his supervisor's cabin and stabbed Rajkumar Mishra repeatedly after Mishra could not recite the Kalma.
What is the background of the accused Zaib Zuber Ansari?
According to sources cited in reports, Ansari had lived in the United States for several years but returned to India after reportedly failing to find employment there. He was living alone in Mira Road and allegedly earning money through online chemistry classes. Authorities believe he was radicalised by extremist content found online.
