The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested Mohammad Hasan Abu Sarmad Akhtar, 33, a Mahim resident originally from Bihar, for his alleged links with the banned terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
An examination of his mobile phone allegedly revealed inflammatory social media posts and audio recordings of JeM chief Masood Azhar, prompting investigators to probe his online activities and suspected contacts with Pakistani intelligence operatives.
Akhtar works as a bike-taxi rider for an app-based transport aggregator and also sells perfumes in Mahim. According to officials, the intelligence inputs about his online activities led the ATS’s Kalachowki unit to examine his social media accounts and Telegram communications. He was reportedly detained near Mahim Metro station on October 21 and questioned about his alleged online activities.
“The Mumbai ATS has arrested Mohammad Hasan Abu Sarmad Akhtar (33) from Mahim on allegations of having links to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). An examination of his mobile phone revealed inflammatory posts and audio clips featuring Masood Azhar. Investigations are also underway regarding his alleged contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives; the matter came to light through his social media activity and a Telegram group,” an official said.
Police allegedly found two audio recordings of speeches by Masood Azhar in a Telegram group called ‘Indian Muslim’. The recordings, reportedly shared on June 1, were around 30 minutes long each, with one concerning the Babri Masjid issue. The ATS suspects that Akhtar administered the group and is investigating whether it was used to circulate extremist material.
The agency is also examining his alleged activity on a Telegram channel, which they suspect is associated with extremist propaganda originating from Pakistan.
The agency is also looking into his all his social media accounts. Police are also examining posts and comments allegedly uploaded between May and October 2026. One comment, reportedly posted on September 8 in response to a news report about a security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mumbai, allegedly called for the prime minister to be targeted in a manner similar to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was assassinated in 1984.
Other comments cited in the complaint allegedly include calls made for jihad and suggestions that members of the Muslim community should take up arms. “We are examining the context of these posts and whether they were part of a coordinated effort to promote religious hostility or encourage violence,” an official said.
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