A day after a car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort killed at least 13 people, police officials in Jammu and Kashmir say they are piecing together a larger terror network that stretches across multiple states. Early findings suggest the blast may be linked to the same “transnational and interstate” module busted in Haryana’s Faridabad just a day earlier.
The connection points to a coordinated operation involving young doctors, allegedly associated with proscribed outfits Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwatul Hind.
In the aftermath of the explosion, Delhi has been placed on high alert, with intensified security checks at airports, railway stations, and bus terminals. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is chairing a high-level meeting to review the security situation. Shah earlier said that authorities are “exploring all possibilities” and that a thorough investigation will be carried out, examining every potential lead.
The Arrests That Preceded The Blast
In the days leading up to the Red Fort explosion, the Jammu & Kashmir Police, in coordination with Haryana Police, arrested two doctors, Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie from Pulwama and Dr Adeel Majeed Rather from Kulgam, on suspicion of aiding a Jaish-linked network.
Dr Ganaie, employed at Al Falah Hospital in Faridabad, was the first to be taken into custody. A subsequent search of his rented accommodation in Dhauj village near Faridabad led to the seizure of nearly 2,900 kg of explosive and inflammable materials, largely ammonium nitrate-based IED components, according to investigators. The cache was recovered in two phases, about 360 kg from his flat in Dhauj and another 2,563 kg from a second location in Fatehpur Taga.
Following his arrest, Dr Rather was detained from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, as investigators traced financial and communication links between the two. Authorities are also searching for a third suspect, Dr Umar Nabi, who went missing soon after Ganaie’s arrest and is believed to be the person captured on CCTV driving the Hyundai i20 that later exploded near Red Fort.
What Happened on November 10
The blast on November 10, near Gate 1 of Lal Quila metro station, engulfed several vehicles in flames, killing at least 13 and injuring 21 others. Delhi Police have registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions on murder and attempt to murder, and the Explosives Act.
Investigators reportedly established the link between the Red Fort blast and the Faridabad module while tracing the ownership trail of the Hyundai i20 used in the explosion.
According to police, the car had changed hands several times before reaching Umar Nabi. It was first registered to a man named Salman, who sold it to Devender. Devender then passed it on to a man named Taariq, before it was finally traced to Umar.
CCTV footage shows the vehicle approaching a traffic signal and slowing down moments before the explosion occurred around 6:52 pm.
Investigators believe Umar was inside the car at the time. Police also claim that Umar was part of the same module as two other doctors, Muzammil and Adeel, who had earlier been arrested with nearly 2,900 kg of explosives.
The Faridabad Raids And A Wider Network
The trail that began in Faridabad had already led police to one of the largest seizures of explosive material in recent years. Raids across Dhauj and Fatehpur Taga villages uncovered around 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate and other bomb-making substances.
The joint crackdown by the J&K Police, Haryana Police and central agencies stemmed from an earlier investigation in October, when posters of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind appeared in Srinagar’s Bunpora area, something that had not been seen since 2019.
The posters, which threatened security forces and called for “anti-India” activities, drew the attention of Srinagar SSP G.V. Sundeep Chakravarthy, who had led the Pahalgam counterterror operation. CCTV footage and follow-up interrogations soon exposed a wider network spanning Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
During the interrogation of a cleric from Shopian, Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, investigators learned of a Jaish-e-Mohammad–linked network that was allegedly recruiting educated youth, including medical professionals, to set up sleeper cells outside Jammu and Kashmir. His statements led to the arrest of several suspects and triggered coordinated raids across multiple states.
While the investigation is still underway, officials believe the Red Fort blast is the most serious incident linked so far to this network, which had been operating quietly across regions.