Mumbai police detain Rapido rider over extremist posts
Mumbai police are investigating a Rapido motorcycle taxi rider accused of circulating extremist material and posting inflammatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after an Anti-Terrorism Squad inquiry failed to establish suspected links with Pakistan.
Mohammad Hasan Abu Sarmad Akhtar, a Mahim resident described as 33 years old in several police accounts, was taken into custody following intelligence about his online activities. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) questioned him before transferring the case to Mahim police, who registered an offence concerning the promotion of hostility between religious communities.
The investigation initially focused on possible connections with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the banned Pakistan-based militant organisation, and a suspected Pakistani intelligence operative. However, officers said the ATS preliminary examination uncovered no evidence that Akhtar had communicated with anyone in Pakistan or maintained operational links with an organisation based there.
That finding significantly narrows the allegations established so far. Police are examining the suspect's online statements and distribution of material associated with JeM, rather than treating membership of the organisation or participation in a terrorist conspiracy as proven. Investigators have not publicly established that he was preparing an attack.
According to police, the ATS received information on October 21 alleging that Akhtar was in contact with a Pakistani intelligence operative. Officers located him near Mahim Metro Station and examined his mobile telephone and social media accounts. Their inquiry identified messages, videos and online groups that they considered potentially inflammatory.
Akhtar allegedly posted comments invoking jihad and shared recordings featuring JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar. Police said some material circulated through Telegram groups, including audio speeches addressing the Babri Masjid dispute. Investigators are seeking to determine how the recordings were distributed and whether other individuals were involved in managing the groups.
One comment under scrutiny appeared beneath a social media post about security arrangements connected with a visit to Mumbai by Modi. Police allege that Akhtar referred to the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi while discussing Modi, prompting concern about the threatening implications of the remark.
The authorities have not announced evidence that the comment formed part of a concrete assassination plan. Its wording and circumstances remain matters for investigators, and the distinction between an offensive online statement and an organised threat is central to assessing the case.
Officers also identified activity on Instagram, X, WhatsApp and Telegram. They allege that Akhtar posted messages capable of aggravating communal divisions and subscribed to a Telegram channel called IBN-e-Qasim, which investigators suspect of circulating extremist propaganda. Joining or following a channel does not, by itself, establish organisational membership.
Police documented 39 screenshots of online material and seized a Redmi Note 14 Pro telephone for examination. Investigators are reviewing the content, its origin and the accounts involved. The material could help establish which statements Akhtar personally authored, which he forwarded and whether any exchanges went beyond public commentary.
A case has been registered under Section 196(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the provision addressing acts that promote enmity between groups. The charge concerns alleged communal incitement. Police have not identified a separate terrorism charge arising from the initial examination.
Accounts of the arrest chronology differ. Some initial accounts described an ATS arrest on Saturday, October 24, while more detailed police accounts indicate that Akhtar was detained earlier, handed over to Mahim police and arrested on October 22. One account states that a court remanded him to police custody on Friday for four days.
There is also a discrepancy over his age, with some police-based accounts putting it at 32 rather than 33. His name has appeared with minor variations in transliteration, although the identification of the Mahim resident and the substance of the investigation are consistent.
Akhtar earned his living driving for the Rapido bike-taxi platform and selling perfumes, according to investigators. Police are examining whether he used online groups to contact people outside the country, but their preliminary findings have not substantiated the suspected Pakistani connection.
Investigators have not disclosed any verified financial transfers, weapons recoveries or instructions from JeM figures that would demonstrate direct operational involvement.
The inquiry remains with Mahim police, who are assessing the seized digital material and the circumstances surrounding the posts. No response from Akhtar or his legal representative has been publicly established in the accounts available, and the allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial scrutiny.
Mohammad Hasan Abu Sarmad Akhtar, a Mahim resident described as 33 years old in several police accounts, was taken into custody following intelligence about his online activities. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) questioned him before transferring the case to Mahim police, who registered an offence concerning the promotion of hostility between religious communities.
The investigation initially focused on possible connections with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the banned Pakistan-based militant organisation, and a suspected Pakistani intelligence operative. However, officers said the ATS preliminary examination uncovered no evidence that Akhtar had communicated with anyone in Pakistan or maintained operational links with an organisation based there.
That finding significantly narrows the allegations established so far. Police are examining the suspect's online statements and distribution of material associated with JeM, rather than treating membership of the organisation or participation in a terrorist conspiracy as proven. Investigators have not publicly established that he was preparing an attack.
According to police, the ATS received information on October 21 alleging that Akhtar was in contact with a Pakistani intelligence operative. Officers located him near Mahim Metro Station and examined his mobile telephone and social media accounts. Their inquiry identified messages, videos and online groups that they considered potentially inflammatory.
Akhtar allegedly posted comments invoking jihad and shared recordings featuring JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar. Police said some material circulated through Telegram groups, including audio speeches addressing the Babri Masjid dispute. Investigators are seeking to determine how the recordings were distributed and whether other individuals were involved in managing the groups.
One comment under scrutiny appeared beneath a social media post about security arrangements connected with a visit to Mumbai by Modi. Police allege that Akhtar referred to the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi while discussing Modi, prompting concern about the threatening implications of the remark.
The authorities have not announced evidence that the comment formed part of a concrete assassination plan. Its wording and circumstances remain matters for investigators, and the distinction between an offensive online statement and an organised threat is central to assessing the case.
Officers also identified activity on Instagram, X, WhatsApp and Telegram. They allege that Akhtar posted messages capable of aggravating communal divisions and subscribed to a Telegram channel called IBN-e-Qasim, which investigators suspect of circulating extremist propaganda. Joining or following a channel does not, by itself, establish organisational membership.
Police documented 39 screenshots of online material and seized a Redmi Note 14 Pro telephone for examination. Investigators are reviewing the content, its origin and the accounts involved. The material could help establish which statements Akhtar personally authored, which he forwarded and whether any exchanges went beyond public commentary.
A case has been registered under Section 196(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the provision addressing acts that promote enmity between groups. The charge concerns alleged communal incitement. Police have not identified a separate terrorism charge arising from the initial examination.
Accounts of the arrest chronology differ. Some initial accounts described an ATS arrest on Saturday, October 24, while more detailed police accounts indicate that Akhtar was detained earlier, handed over to Mahim police and arrested on October 22. One account states that a court remanded him to police custody on Friday for four days.
There is also a discrepancy over his age, with some police-based accounts putting it at 32 rather than 33. His name has appeared with minor variations in transliteration, although the identification of the Mahim resident and the substance of the investigation are consistent.
Akhtar earned his living driving for the Rapido bike-taxi platform and selling perfumes, according to investigators. Police are examining whether he used online groups to contact people outside the country, but their preliminary findings have not substantiated the suspected Pakistani connection.
Investigators have not disclosed any verified financial transfers, weapons recoveries or instructions from JeM figures that would demonstrate direct operational involvement.
The inquiry remains with Mahim police, who are assessing the seized digital material and the circumstances surrounding the posts. No response from Akhtar or his legal representative has been publicly established in the accounts available, and the allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial scrutiny.