Mumbai: The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a 33 year old man from Mumbai over suspected links with the banned terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and allegedly provocative social media posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The accused, Mohammad Hasan Abu Sarmad Akhtar, a resident of Mahim, was apprehended near Mahim Metro Station following a tip off. He reportedly worked as a Rapido driver and sold perfumes.
According to investigators, Akhtar allegedly used social media platforms to circulate radical content, promote religious hostility and share audio recordings attributed to JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar. The material reportedly included content related to the Babri Masjid, which was shared through a Telegram group named Indian Muslim.
Investigators also found that Akhtar had subscribed to a Pakistani Telegram channel called IBN E Qasim. His activity on X and Instagram allegedly included provocative statements advocating jihad and comments interpreted as encouraging violence against the Prime Minister.
One of the posts reportedly referred to a security breach in Mumbai ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit and made a reference to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
The ATS seized a Redmi Note 14 Pro mobile phone from the accused and collected 39 screenshots of his alleged social media activity as part of the investigation.
Akhtar has been booked under Section 196(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with promoting enmity between different groups on grounds including religion.
A neighbour said Akhtar had been living in a rented flat in the locality for approximately three to three and a half years. The neighbour expressed surprise over the allegations, recalling that Akhtar sold perfumes and was often seen sitting outside the building.
The arrest comes amid heightened security concerns in Mumbai following a recent shooting incident involving Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff. One of the accused in that case had reportedly worked as a Rapido rider and allegedly conducted surveillance in neighbourhoods where celebrities reside.
Rapido stated that the individual linked to the shooting had not been active as a driver on its platform since October 14.
In a separate development, the Gujarat ATS detained five people in July during an investigation into an alleged terror module suspected of having links to Jaish-e-Mohammed.
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