The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) carried out high-stakes searches at two locations—a teacher’s residence in Thane’s Mumbra and another home in Pune’s Kondhwa—directly linked to the recent arrest of software engineer Zubair Hangargekar. The 37-year-old was detained on October 27 for alleged connections with banned terror groups Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), along with suspected radicalization efforts. Authorities firmly stated that these raids have no connection to the tragic Delhi explosion on Monday that claimed 12 lives, though standard checks for any Maharashtra angle are underway.

Investigators discovered that Hangargekar had used the Mumbra teacher’s house as a discreet venue for one of his clandestine meetings. On Tuesday, ATS officers thoroughly questioned the teacher and examined the premises for clues. The teacher has been cleared of any wrongdoing and is neither an accused nor a witness, highlighting how ordinary citizens can unknowingly become part of terror investigations.

In Pune’s Kondhwa, where Hangargekar reportedly gave fiery religious speeches, earlier raids yielded chilling evidence: deleted PDFs on AQIS operations, an Urdu version of Osama bin Laden’s Eid-ul-Fitr speech, and issues of the extremist Inspire magazine. The publication included images of AK-47 training and detailed bomb-making instructions using acetone peroxide, revealing the engineer’s access to dangerous terrorist resources.

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A recovered old phone contained five saved international contacts—one from Pakistan, two from Saudi Arabia, and one each from Kuwait and Oman—though no calls were logged. The ATS is now mapping Hangargekar’s full network to prevent further threats.

With no fresh arrests from the latest searches, the focus remains on urban vigilance. The case exposes how tech professionals can fuel extremism, urging tighter community monitoring.

Also Read: Pune Software Engineer Arrested for Alleged Al-Qaeda Links