Ex-Muslim and YouTuber Saleem Ahmed, or Saleem Wastik, was targeted by Islamists on the morning of 27th February (Friday), near his residence in Ghaziabad. The vicious plot was executed by two brothers, Gulfam and Zeeshan. The former had remained on the bike while the other dismounted and unleashed deadly strikes at their victim. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had instructed the authorities to initiate strict action against the culprits. A reward of Rs 1 lakh was also announced for them.
Afterwards, Zeeshan lost his life in a police encounter while Gulfam continues to be on the run. Notably, they were associated with the radical organisation “Muslim Army Mehdi Moderator.” They were profoundly influenced by the messages of certain religious entities and had ties to the extremist outfit.
Zeeshan, the Islamist who targeted Ex-Muslim Saleem Wastik, was injured in an encounter with the UP Police and later died in the hospital.
— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) March 1, 2026
After slitting Saleem’s throat, the radical also opened fire at the Police, in which two police personnel were injured.
Police statement… pic.twitter.com/6V47hjWgfH
It is important to note that the development occurred after the police were alerted by an informant regarding the possibility of the two individuals re-entering the region to try to carry out another attack on Saleem, as they had failed to eliminate him during their initial attempt.
Close links with a fanatical group, influenced by a Pakistani YouTuber
According to the investigation, 27-year-old Zeeshan operated his own social media channel and was also connected to the aforementioned group. The assailants were also indoctrinated by a Pakistani YouTuber’s appeal. Furthermore, Saleem had made a comment regarding Halala on his channel three days prior to the brutal assault, which incensed the siblings. This is believed to be the primary motive behind their gruesome step.
Moreover, the inquiry uncovered that Zeeshan operated his own channel and disseminated fundamentalist views through it. He drew inspiration from the messages of a Pakistani YouTuber, which pushed him to execute his heinous mission. He even felt enraged by the calls for boycotts of Kashmir and the discussions against Kashmiri fanatics.
The accused were part of a Telegram group connected with a radical organisation with 18,200 members. A photograph of Saleem, depicting a slit throat, was circulated widely there, accompanied by the caption, “Saleem, an ex-Muslim, has been admitted to the hospital. Would you like to see the full video?”
Additionally, a personal image of his was shared with the title, “Ex-Muslim Saleem is receiving treatment. Video: Listen.” Both posts garnered numerous likes and reactions from group members. The assault was executed following the declaration of intent to behead him.
Intent to behead and recreate the killings of Kanhaiya Lal, Kamlesh Tiwari
Zeeshan and Gulfam aimed to detach the head from the body but failed due to the ensuing chaos and subsequently fled the scene. They possess no prior criminal records and have been characterised as inexperienced.
The duo arrived in the vehicle from Loni in the morning, tracked Saleem from his residence and went with him to the location of prayer, after which they followed him to the office and tried to behead him. They carried out the plan after offering namaz. The authorities reported that a pistol manufactured in Italy, 14 cartridges and the paper cutter utilised in the crime have been retrieved from Zeeshan.
The probe conducted by various agencies has disclosed that the incident bore resemblance to the murder of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur and Kamlesh Tiwari in Lucknow. The pair was also attacked by jihadis on Friday (Jummah). Likewise, the accused in the present matter opted for the month of Ramzan and Friday. Saleem endured repeated attacks akin to those faced by the two Hindus.
Pakistani YouTuber Muhammad Hamad Barkati, who had issued a death threat against the ex-Muslim, has also come under the scrutiny of investigation agencies. He shared images of four Hindu leaders from Ghaziabad and threatened that their fate would be more dire than that of Saleem. He has since removed the video from his account.
Saleem, who continues to be in a critical condition, was moved from GTB Hospital to Max Hospital in Patparganj on 28th February (Saturday) night. Hindu activists assembled at GTB (Guru Teg Bahadur) Hospital to protest the incident and insisted on transferring him to a more advanced medical facility.
How the police action unfolded
The police notified the entire commissionerate following the previously mentioned tip-off, which turned out to be accurate as the two brothers were seen by the officers stationed at a checkpoint. They were riding a motorcycle and were instructed to stop, but instead, they opened fire on the police personnel and attempted to flee. However, their motorcycle skidded and fell, yet they continued to attack the police, who ordered them to surrender, but they did not comply and persisted in firing bullets.
Subsequently, the police had to launch a retaliatory attack in which Zeeshan was injured, and his brother took advantage of the situation to escape. Later, Zeeshan was transported to the hospital for treatment, but was declared dead during the medical procedure. Two cops were also injured during the entire incident. The matter is now under further investigation.
