Mumbai: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a 33-year-old man from Mumbai’s Mahim area for his alleged links with the banned terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and for circulating inflammatory content linked to the outfit. Investigators found objectionable social media posts and audio clips of speeches by JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar on his mobile phone, officials said.
The accused, Mohammed Hasan Abu Sarmad Akhtar, is also being investigated for suspected contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs). The ATS received intelligence inputs about his radical online activities, including posts on social media platforms and material shared through Telegram groups.
Accused Mohammed Hasan Abu Sarmad Akhtar's Social Media Account | Special arrangement
Accused Arrested Near Mahim Metro Station
The ATS’s Kalachowki unit arrested Akhtar near Mahim Metro station in the Laxmi Building area. He worked as a Rapido bike-taxi rider and sold perfumes in Mahim. Investigators seized his mobile phone and are examining its contents to retrieve digital evidence and trace his online contacts.
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Social Media Posts Under Investigation
According to the ATS, Akhtar’s Instagram account, ‘hassanshekh6603’, carried a comment on September 8, 2026, on a news report about a security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mumbai. The comment explicitly incited violence, calling for the Prime Minister to be targeted in a manner similar to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Investigators have also found numerous posts across his Instagram and X accounts supporting armed jihad and urging members of the Muslim community to take up arms.
Telegram Activity & Alleged Extremist Links
The ATS further claimed that Akhtar operated a Telegram group on which he uploaded audio recordings of speeches by Azhar on the Babri Masjid issue and other subjects on June 1. He was also identified as an active subscriber to ‘Ibn-e-Qasim’, a Pakistan-backed extremist Telegram channel used to disseminate propaganda.
The ATS is analysing the digital material and examining Akhtar’s online contacts to establish whether the extent of his activities extended beyond posting and circulating content.
Case Registered Under BNS Section 196(1)
A case has been registered against Akhtar under Section 196(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with promoting enmity between different groups on grounds including religion and language, and acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony.
The ATS is awaiting forensic examination reports of his seized mobile phone from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). The ATS may invoke additional sections under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) depending on evidence of direct organisational membership or active terror conspiracy. The investigation is also focused on establishing whether other individuals in Mumbai or elsewhere in Maharashtra were involved.
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