18 Years After Massacre, Mumbai Chabad House Targeted Again

Indian police arrested a 20-year-old man on Shabbos after an intelligence investigation revealed that he had allegedly been gathering information about the Chabad House in Mumbai, raising serious security concerns nearly 18 years after the deadly terrorist attack that claimed the lives of the city’s Shluchim, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg HY”D.

According to reports in the Indian media, the suspect, identified as Yash Singh, a Mumbai resident, allegedly operated under the direction of hostile elements abroad, collecting photographs, vehicle details, and precise location information concerning Jewish residents and institutions in the city.

Singh was arrested by the Mumbai Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad following intelligence suggesting possible connections to international criminal networks through social media.

A preliminary investigation reportedly revealed that Singh had been instructed to conduct surveillance of sensitive locations throughout Mumbai, with particular emphasis on the Chabad House.

During questioning, the suspect reportedly disclosed that he had been tasked with collecting photographs, vehicle information, and precise geographical details concerning Jewish individuals, Jewish institutions, and foreign nationals living or conducting business in the city. The information was allegedly passed along to his handlers abroad.

The reports have raised particular alarm because of their similarities to the preparations that preceded the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

In the months leading up to those attacks, David Headley, a Pakistani-American operative working on behalf of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organization, conducted extensive surveillance of potential targets in Mumbai, including the Chabad House. Headley photographed and documented the locations, passing the intelligence to his handlers. The information he gathered was subsequently used by the terrorists who carried out the attacks.

The November 2008 assault on the Mumbai Chabad House shocked the Jewish world. Shluchim Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg HY”D were murdered along with four other Jewish victims during the terrorist siege.

Their two-year-old son, Moishy, survived after being rescued from the building by his Indian nanny, Sandra Samuel. He was brought to Eretz Yisroel in the days following the attack.

In response to the latest reports, Chabad’s CWA Emergency and Security Center issued a call to Shluchim worldwide to increase their vigilance and review their security precautions.

“This report reminds us just how much vigilance can save lives,” the center said.

The arrest comes just days after the importance of security at Chabad Houses worldwide was highlighted during the International Kinus Hashluchim.

At Thursday night’s general session, thousands of Shluchim watched a special video highlighting Chabad’s efforts to protect Shluchim and Chabad Houses and emphasizing the critical importance of implementing proper security measures.

The presentation generated considerable interest, with Shluchim from around the world reaching out to the emergency and security center for additional information and practical guidance.

The latest developments in Mumbai serve as a sobering reminder of the ongoing security challenges facing Shluchim and Jewish institutions around the world, and the importance of remaining vigilant even in communities where Jewish life continues peacefully.