Mira Road attack: Man allegedly asks 'can you recite Kalma?' before stabbing two security guards in Mumbai

A violent late-night attack at a construction site in Mumbai’s Mira Road locality left a security guard injured and his supervisor critically hurt after they were allegedly targeted and stabbed during their night shift on April 27.

The victims have been identified as Subrata Sen, a security guard posted near Wockhardt Hospital in Naya Nagar, and his supervisor Rajkumar Mishra. According to Sen, who spoke to CNN-News18, both men were attacked inside the site and the supervisor was later rushed to hospital in a serious condition.

The accused, identified as Jaib Zubair Ansari, was described by Sen as around 30–35 years of old, about 5’6” tall, with shoulder-length hair and a long beard.

How the incident unfolded

According to Sen, the incident began around 3 am when the attacker approached him under the pretext of asking for directions. The man reportedly asked, “Aage masjid hai kya?” (Is there a mosque ahead?), before allegedly shifting to questions about religious identity.

Sen told CNN-News18 that the man asked, “Hindu ho kya?” (Are you a Hindu?), and after he responded, the suspect loitered in the area before returning later.

Around 4:30 am, after Sen returned from a tea break, the same man allegedly confronted him again and attacked him with a knife.

“He grabbed my right hand and said, ‘Hindu ho na,’ before pulling out a knife and attacking me,” Sen said in his statement.

Despite being injured, Sen managed to escape and run to the supervisor’s cabin.

However, the assailant followed him inside. Sen alleged that the attacker then confronted supervisor Rajkumar Mishra and asked, “Tu bhi Hindu hai na? Agar nahi hai toh kalma padh” (You are also a Hindu, right? If not, recite the Kalma).

When Mishra could not respond, he was stabbed as well, according to Sen.

In the chaos, Sen ran out and hid behind a building before later hearing his injured supervisor in distress.

“When I called my supervisor, he was crying and saying, ‘Main mar jaunga… main mar jaunga’ (I am going to die… I am going to die),” Sen recounted.

Mishra was later taken to hospital by a colleague, while Sen was treated at a government facility in Bhayandar after being brought to the police by a local resident.

Accused nabbed within 90 minutes

Maharashtra Police said their team reached the spot shortly after receiving information about the stabbing and launched an investigation.

Using CCTV footage from the area, officers traced the suspect, identified as Ansari, to his rented accommodation in the Naya Nagar area of Mira Road East. He was taken into custody within about 90 minutes of the incident.

A case has been registered at Naya Nagar Police Station based on the complaint filed by Subrata Sen.

During the investigation, police said they found that Ansari’s online activity allegedly involved repeated viewing of Isis-related propaganda content.

Sources further said that Ansari studied in the United States until 2019 before returning to India, where he had been living alone in a rented flat in Mira Road. Investigators also noted that his landlord had reportedly asked him to vacate the premises by May 5.

It has also emerged that until around three to four months ago, Ansari worked as a teacher at a coaching centre, where he taught chemistry and mathematics.

The case has now been handed over to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for deeper investigation.

Police said both the Naya Nagar police and ATS are jointly probing whether the attack has any wider ideological or extremist connection.