New Delhi: The government on Wednesday termed the car explosion outside Red Fort as a “terrorist incident” and directed investigating agencies to deal with the case with “utmost urgency and professionalism” to bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice without delay.
A Union Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon his return from Bhutan, reaffirmed India’s unwavering commitment to a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Observing a two-minute silence in honour of the innocent lives lost in the terrorist incident, the Cabinet adopted a resolution expressing profound grief over the loss of lives in the terrorist incident and said the situation continues to be “closely monitored” at the highest levels of the government.
The prime minister visited the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital to meet the injured soon after he returned from a two-day visit to Bhutan. He also chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security.
The meeting comes two days after an explosives-laden car detonated outside Red Fort, killing 12 people. On the same day, eight persons, including three doctors were arrested when an inter-state “white-collar” terror module was busted.
“The Cabinet directs that the investigation into the incident be pursued with the utmost urgency and professionalism so that the perpetrators, their collaborators, and their sponsors are identified and brought to justice without delay. The situation continues to be closely monitored at the highest levels of the government,” the resolution said.
Terming the car explosion as a “senseless act of violence”, the Union Cabinet condemned this dastardly and cowardly act, and conveyed its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
It also prayed for the speedy recovery of all those injured, and appreciated the prompt efforts of the medical personnel and emergency responders, who have been providing care and support to the victims.
“The Cabinet also recorded its appreciation for the statements of solidarity and support from many governments around the world,” I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said reading out the Cabinet resolution.
The Cabinet also appreciated the timely and coordinated response of the authorities, security agencies, and citizens who acted with courage and compassion in the face of adversity.
“Their dedication and sense of duty are deeply commendable,” it said.
The Cabinet also reaffirmed the government’s steadfast resolve to safeguard the lives and well-being of all Indians, consistent with its enduring commitment to national security and the safety of every citizen.
Earlier, Delhi Police Special Cell handed over the probe to the National Investigation Agency, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosive Substances Act, and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to murder and conspiracy.
A top official told KNO that Jammu and Kashmir Police have also formally handed over the investigation of the module case to State Investigation Agency (SIA) under overall supervision of Criminal Investigation Department CID. Earlier, Srinagar Police was looking into the case, he said.
Investigators suspect that Dr Umar drove the car in which the explosion took place and to establish the link, authorities today collected the DNA sample of his mother.
An official told KNO that the DNA sample of his mother has been sent to AIIMS forensic laboratory for further investigation and to ascertain whether Dr Umar was inside the car.
Meanwhile, as the ambit of the probe widens, the Delhi police have found an SUV – a red EcoSport car – suspected to be linked to the blast. During investigation it came to fore that this car was also owned by Dr Umar Mohammad, who investigators believe triggered the deadly blast in one of the busiest places in Delhi.
According to details available with KNO, Delhi police earlier today had issued a high alert after a probe revealed that apart from the Hyundai i20, the suspects also had another red car.
All Delhi police stations, police posts, and border checkpoints were alerted to look out for the red EcoSport car. Hours after the alert, the car, bearing registration number DL10CK0458, was intercepted at a farmhouse in Haryana’s Khandavali village.
Investigation has revealed that the SUV is registered in the name of Dr Umar Un Nabi, also known as Umar Mohammad, the prime suspect in the Delhi blast case. Dr Umar is believed to have purchased the car on October 29, and on the same day, it was taken out to get the Pollution Under Control certificate. CCTV footage from that day shows three people were in the car.
Dr Umar was part of the terror module busted by Jammu and Kashmir police and Haryana police last week and was working at the Al-Falah Medical College in Haryana’s Faridabad. So far, the investigation has revealed that Dr Umar was driving the car that exploded near the Red Fort on Monday evening, killing 9 people and injuring 20 others.
The probe has further revealed that fearing arrest, Dr Umar triggered the blast in panic after his other accomplices, Dr Muzzamil Shakeel, Dr Adil Ahmad and Dr Shaheen were arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police and Haryana police.
According to investigating agencies, this module was being handled from abroad. Delhi Police and central agencies are now probing the foreign link in the case.
As investigation is ongoing, a total of 15 arrests have been made so far, while several have been detained for questioning in the Red Fort blast case.
Meanwhile, investigation has also revealed that Dr Muzzamil, Dr Shaheen and Dr Umar stayed inside the Al Falah university campus. Dr Muzzamil was staying in the campus for the last 3 years, while Dr Umar was associated with the university for the last 7 years and Dr Shaeena got in touch with them recently, the probe revealed.
It also revealed that another person who works in the HR department of the university is responsible for bringing these doctors from Jammu and Kashmir to Faridabad. He is also being questioned by the investigators.
Red Fort blast: Officials say ‘car driver’ Umar Nabi had planned for Dec 6 strike
Dr Umar Nabi who was driving the explosives-laden car that blew up near the Red Fort had planned a powerful blast timed around the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary on December 6, officials said on Wednesday.
The details of the plan have been pieced together after interrogation of the eight people arrested for their alleged links to the interstate “white collar Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror module” centered in Faridabad and conversations with their family, friends and neighbours, the officials said.
Umar, a 28-year-old doctor based in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district believed to have been killed in the November 10 Red Fort blast in which 12 people lost their lives, has emerged as key in the terror network spanning Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
His plan fell apart with the arrest of Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie alias Musaib, who taught at Faridabad’s Al Falah University and from whose room 360 kg of ammonium nitrate was found. It is believed that Umar panicked and the explosion was accidental, the officials said.
According to officials, Umar was a loner and had an excellent academic record. A trip to Turkiye in 2021 with Ganaie, the first of the eight people to be arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police, “led to a dramatic transformation and radicalization”, they claimed.
It is believed the two met overground workers of the banned JeM during the trip.
After the trip, a changed Umar allegedly began accumulating explosives, including ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sulphur, with Ganaie and started storing them in and around the Al Falah campus where he was pursuing higher studies.
According to officials, Umar informed the others about his December terror plan and began prepping for it by placing explosives in the Hyundai i20 he was driving on that fateful November 10.
It is likely that he was assembling a vehicle-based improvised explosive device (VBIED) after taking lessons on its construction and detonation circuit from open sources available on the internet, officials said.
Umar may have panicked on November 10 when a top Faridabad police officer appeared on television announcing that a terror module had been busted with the recovery of 2,900 kg of explosives in Faridabad, officials said. The 2,900 kg included the 360 kg of inflammable material recovered from Ganaie’s rented accommodation.
Umar took refuge in a mosque in the walled city where he stayed for three hours on Monday evening before driving out. A premature explosion took place. The VBIED was also incomplete, as shrapnel had yet to be assembled, the officials said.
Of the eight people arrested, seven are from Kashmir. They are Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid from Nowgam in Srinagar; Maulvi Irfan Ahmad from Shopian; Zameer Ahmad Ahanger alias Mutlasha from Wakura area of Ganderbal; Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie alias Musaib from Koil area of Pulwama, and Dr Adeel from Wanpora area of Kulgam. Dr Shaheen Sayeed is from Lucknow.
On October 26, Umar travelled to Kashmir and spent some time with his friends and relatives before starting his return journey to Faridabad. During this trip, he told his close relatives and friends that he would not be available for the next three months, the officials said.
The statement was corroborated by many of his friends, relatives questioned and other co-accused to the police, they said. It is most likely that he wanted to plant the VBIED and then go underground for sometime.
However, the plan took a U-turn after a meticulous investigation by the Srinagar police in a case related to putting up posters supporting the JeM in Srinagar led to the arrest of Ganaie. The posters were pasted on walls of the city on October 19.
That was the starting point of the investigation. This led to the unravelling of the inter-state terror network after the CCTV showed Ganaie along with some others involved in the act.
‘Arrested doctor recced Red Fort many times in Jan; key suspects went to Turkiye’
J&K cops detain Haryana preacher
An analysis of dump data retrieved from the mobile phone of Dr Muzammil Ganaie, who was arrested after police busted a “white-collar terror module” recently, showed that he conducted multiple reconnaissances of the Red Fort area in January this year, officials said.
Police said they suspect these recesses were part of a larger conspiracy to target the historic monument on Republic Day, but were foiled due to intensified patrolling in the area at the time.
During investigation, it was found that two of the key suspects, Dr Umar, who was driving the Hyundai i20 car that exploded, and Muzammil, had travelled to Turkey. Sources said the investigators have found Turkish immigration stamps in their passports and are examining whether the two met any “foreign based handler” during their trip.
Delhi Police also sounded an alert across all police stations, posts, and border checkpoints in the city to trace a red Ford EcoSport car suspected to be linked to the Red Fort blast case, sources said.
The alert was issued after the investigation revealed that other suspects, already connected to the Hyundai i20 used in the explosion, were also in possession of another red-coloured car.
Hours after police busted the terror module “with links to proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind”, and arrested eight people including three doctors, a high-intensity blast ripped through a slow-moving car near Delhi’s Red Fort area, killing 12 people and injuring several others.
Around 2,900 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate and sulphur were seized after police busted the terror module, which spanned across Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday visited the LNJP Hospital and met the survivors, saying the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
“Went to LNJP Hospital and met those injured during the blast in Delhi. Praying for everyone’s quick recovery. Those behind the conspiracy will be brought to justice!” Modi said in a post on X.
Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams collected around 40 samples from the blast site, said preliminary analysis suggested that one of the explosive samples is likely to be ammonium nitrate.
A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that analysis of the dump data showed Dr Muzammil’s repeated presence in and around the Red Fort area in the first week of January.
The agencies are also analysing mobile dump data from the Red Fort area between 3 pm and 6.30 pm on the day of the blast to track Dr Umar’s movement and communication.
Dr Muzammil visited the Red Fort multiple times to study the security arrangements and crowd density patterns along with Dr Umar Nabi, an assistant professor at the Al-Falah University who is said to have been driving the car that exploded on Monday, officials said.
Their movements were corroborated through tower location data and CCTV footage collected from nearby areas, they added.
“These visits were part of a detailed reconnaissance ahead of a planned attack on January 26,” the officer said.
The Special Cell of Delhi Police has detained a Faridabad-based car dealer and directed all second-hand car dealers across Delhi and adjoining states to verify and share details of recent vehicle sales, officials said on Wednesday.
Under the scanner after the blast, Al Falah University in Haryana’s Faridabad on Wednesday said it has only a professional association with the two of its doctors arrested in connection with the Red Fort blast and is anguished by the unfortunate developments.
While distancing itself from the terror-linked doctors, the university in a statement asserted that it is a responsible institution and stands in solidarity with the nation.
The forensics team has collected around 40 samples from the blast site, including two cartridges, live ammunition, and samples of two different types of explosives.
Preliminary analysis suggests that one of the explosive samples could be ammonium nitrate, officials said.
During the investigation on Monday, 360 kilograms of ammonium nitrate was recovered from Faridabad, where Dr Muzammil Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed, both connected to Al-Falah University, were arrested.
“The second explosive sample is believed to be more powerful than ammonium nitrate. Its exact composition will be confirmed after detailed forensic examination,” an official said.
According to officials, the forensics team found the cartridges while inspecting the spot. Further investigation is underway to determine the nature of the explosives and how they were used in the blast.
As part of the ongoing probe into the module’s activities, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday detained a preacher from Mewat in Haryana.
Maulvi Ishtiyaq, who has been brought to Srinagar, was staying in a rented house within the Al Falah University complex in Faridabad. It was from his home that police had recovered more than 2,500 kilograms of explosives, officials said.
Maulvi Ishtiyaq, who will be the ninth person to be nabbed in the case, is likely to be placed under arrest.
Senior police officers are personally supervising the security checks at interstate borders, including Ghazipur, Singhu, Tikri, and Badarpur. Vehicles are being checked randomly at markets, metro stations, railway terminals and bus stands, officials said.
‘Arrest of two OGWs carrying posters of terror outfits led to busting of terror module’
The arrest of two overground workers (OGWs) carrying posters of terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwatul Hind (AGuH) led to the busting of an interstate and trans-national module of terrorists, resulting in a major haul of arms and 2900 kilograms of explosive material, officials said on Wednesday.
The Srinagar police apprehended the OGWs on November 2, and investigation by the local police led to the unravelling of the plot in less than three days.
Inspector Mir Masrat Aalam, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Nowgam police station, discovered during questioning that the suspects “were part of a larger network and their handler – Moulvi Irfan Ahmad – hailed from Shopian district but was operating under the garb of a prayer leader in a local mosque in Nowgam area,” officials in the know of the investigation said.
The officials further said that the team from the Nowgam police station picked up the Imam “who revealed the involvement of several young doctors in the module”, currently working outside Jammu and Kashmir.
“The SHO informed his seniors about the disclosures, who sent a team to Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, where the cops from Jammu and Kashmir, with the help of local police, managed to nab Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather from a private hospital,” the officials said.
Officials added that Dr Rather was arrested on November 6 and was brought to Srinagar the next day on a transit remand. Through his interrogation, “police recovered an AK rifle from a locker at the medical college” where he had worked until October of the previous year.
The doctor revealed information about large quantities of explosives stored by other members of the module in Faridabad and other locations. Consequently, police arrested Dr Muzamil Ahmad Ganaie, who had returned to his native village in Pulwama district to attend his sister’s wedding. At his direction, a substantial cache of explosives was recovered from his rented room in Faridabad, officials said.
Ganaie was working at a local hospital in Faridabad, where Umar Nabi, a key suspect in the Delhi blast case, also worked.
The SHO’s crucial role in exposing the module led to his reassignment to the NCR to assist with investigations into the explosives seizure and the Delhi blast, officials noted.
Meanwhile, investigations in Kashmir have intensified, targeting individuals believed to be connected with the terror ecosystem. Dozens of people, including several doctors with close links to Rather, Ganaie, or Nabi, have been questioned by the police.
The police also questioned Fatima Bano, the wife of Moulvi Irfan, officials informed.
While some of those questioned are suspected of being involved in terror activities, “others are being examined to understand the recruitment processes employed by terrorist handlers operating within the union territory or across the Line of Control,” officials said.
