21 May,2026 07:56 PM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya Iyer
The suspects in police custody on Thursday. Pic/Special Arrangement
The Mumbai Police nabbed three people wanted in the West Bengal firing and blast case from their hideout in Deonar near Govandi area of eastern Mumbai, officials said on Thursday.
According to the police, among those held is also the alleged mastermind who had been wanted.
Officials said the suspects had allegedly fled West Bengal after the incident and were living in Mumbai while concealing their identities.
According to police, the case was registered at Shibpur in Howrah on May 7. It includes charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Arms Act, and the Explosive Substances Act.
The case relates to a firing and crude bomb blast incident during violent clashes in the area.
Police suspect the accused were allegedly involved in coordinated attacks using explosives and firearms during tensions that reportedly followed the West Bengal Assembly election results.
Police sources said that the violence caused panic in parts of Shibpur, where groups allegedly clashed and explosives were thrown in crowded areas. Several people were reportedly injured, after which security was tightened and patrolling was increased in the region.
The case remains under investigation by West Bengal Police and is considered sensitive.
On Wednesday, Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 6 received specific intelligence that the main accused and his associates were hiding in an SRA building in Deonar.
Acting on the information, police carried out a search operation using technical surveillance and local intelligence inputs before arresting all three accused from the premises.
The suspects were identified as Shamim Ahmed Abdul Rashid (40), Jamil Akhtar Ali (43) and Aftab Anwar Khurshid Anwar (44). All three are residents of Shibpur and Howrah in West Bengal.
Police said the accused allegedly admitted their involvement during interrogation. They were also wanted in multiple related cases involving rioting, unlawful assembly, criminal conspiracy, attempt to murder, firearms use, and explosives offences.
A team from Shibpur Police Station has arrived in Mumbai and is taking custody of the accused for further legal proceedings.
The operation was carried out by Crime Branch Unit 6 under senior supervision from Mumbai Police leadership.
