Mumbai bike taxi driver arrested over suspected links to Jaish-e-Mohammad

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a 32-year-old bike taxi driver in Mumbai over his suspected links to Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

The accused, identified as Mohammad Hassan Abu Sarmad Akhtar, is a resident of LJ Road in Mahim. Following his arrest, the ATS handed him over to the local police.

According to police, Akhtar allegedly shared inflammatory content, including videos of JeM leader Maulana Masood Azhar, and made controversial remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media.

Investigators suspect that Akhtar worked as a Rapido bike taxi driver and a perfume seller as a cover while allegedly propagating radical ideology. The ATS is also examining whether he was in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives.

According to an NDTV report, the investigation revealed that Akhtar had subscribed to a radical Pakistani Telegram channel named “IBN E Qasim”.

Akhtar reportedly used his social media accounts to call for jihad and incite violence. In one post, he allegedly wrote: “Kuch karana tha Indira Gandhi ki tarah PM Modi ko bhi bhai log” (Something like what happened to Indira Gandhi should also have been done to PM Modi).

Police have registered an FIR against him under Section 196(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with promoting enmity between different groups.

An IANS report quoted one of Akhtar’s neighbours as saying that he had been living in a rented flat in the area for the past three to three-and-a-half years.

“I never felt like he would do something like this. I used to see him sitting outside and spoke to him. He used to sell perfume here and then worked at night somewhere else... never thought of him as a bad man,” the neighbour told the news agency.