Who is Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi, the IIT grad accused in Gorakhnath Temple attack

Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi made headlines after attacking Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhnath temple on April 3. Minutes after the incident took place, the internet was filled with videos showing him chasing security guards with a sickle.

As claimed by the police, Abbasi was trying to charge into the temple after raising the slogan of ‘Allahu Akbar’. When he was scanned at the temple’s entrance gate by police officers, he even tried to snatch the weapons of the PAC staff deployed there. Authorities have termed Abbasi’s moves to be an “act of terror” and have ordered a special team of the UP STF to probe the matter further.

Here we will tell you everything about Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi

Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology with a degree in chemical engineering in 2015. After that, he worked as a corporate professional in Reliance Industries and Essar Petrochemicals.

Based on reports, he has also worked as an app developer in the past.

According to his family members, Abbasi has been facing mental health problems since early age and has been taking medical treatment since 2017. Speaking about his son’s disturbed mental health, Abbasi’s father Mohammad Munir said that he has had suicidal thoughts in the past.

Based on his family member's claims Abbasi was facing problems in his marital life too because of his disturbed mental health. Eventually, her had to get separated from his wife.  

Abbasi is a resident of Civil Lines in Gorakhpur and had isolated himself from his friends and family after returning from Nepal.

As per sources, the weapon spotted in his hand at the time of Gorakhnath temple attack was purchased after he came from Nepal.

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Abassi’s father has worked as a legal advisor for many finance companies. He has now requested the government to adopt a sympathetic attitude towards his son by claiming that he isn’t mentally sound.

Meanwhile, medical authorities at the Gorakhpur District Hospital have clearly stated that Abbasi is not ‘mentally unsound’. Speaking to a leading news outlet, Superintendent in Chief of Gorakhpur District Hospital JSP Singh said, “The accused, when brought for medical examination immediately after his arrest was talking coherently, was responding to the queries of doctors and the police and did not display any violent behaviour which makes the doctors believe that the accused is not mentally unstable.”