Mahmood, owner of a shop situated in front of the site where a 31-year-old man was accused of stabbing two security guards in Mira-Bhayandar, after allegedly asking their religion, said people are purposely giving a Hindu-Muslim angle as the crime took place due to an argument over "roaming" in the building premises.
According to initial information, the accused, identified as Jabar Zubair Ansari, is alleged to have questioned the guards about their religion before the altercation on Monday, April 27 in the Naya Nagar area of Mira Road, a suburb of Mumbai. Even authorities have not confirmed any communal motive, and the investigation is still ongoing in the case. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has taken over the investigation.
A local shop owner, Mahmood, whose store is located near the incident site, said the situation escalated from a routine argument. He told the news agency PTI that he was not present at the time of the incident and learned about it after arriving at his shop around 8 am Monday, when he noticed a heavy police presence.
Quoting what he was told by workers and security personnel, Mahmood said the accused had been staying in a nearby building and had gone for morning prayers (Fajar). After returning, he was seen walking in the area when an argument broke out with a watchman, which later turned into a physical confrontation.
Also Read | Lone wolf attack? Radicalised Mumbai man held for stabbing 2 guards after asking them to recite 'Kalma'.
"My worker also told me this, and when I asked the security guard here, he said the same, that the man was roaming around, and during that, some conversation took place…Now people are giving it a Hindu-Muslim angle… I also heard about the stabbing,” the shop owner told PTI.
Accused Ansari approached the guards on duty under the pretext of asking for direction before returning and questioning them about their religion, as per the news agency ANI report. He allegedly forced one of the guards to recite the Kalma and when he failed attacked both men with a sharp knife, ANI quoted an eyewitness.
The victims, identified as Rajkumar Mishra and Subroto Ramesh Sen, are seriously injured and were admitted to the hospital. Mishra's condition are critial, while Sen is undergoing treatment at the hospital. Ansari was arrested immediately after the incident.