'White-Collar Terror Ring' Unmasked After Delhi Blast; 7 Arrested

In what may be described as a reminder that terrorism can hide in plain sight, Delhi and Haryana police, in coordination with Jammu and Kashmir authorities, have arrested seven individuals linked to a ‘white-collar terror module’ following the deadly Red Fort car blast that killed at least eight people.

Thousands of  kilograms of explosives, detonators, timers, and other bomb-making materials were also seized preventing what could have been a far more devastating attack.

According to reports, Dr Umar, who is alleged to have driven the vehicle involved in the Red Fort blast, was a central figure in the module. Under intense pressure from the security agencies after the module was exposed, Dr Umar reportedly rushed the execution of the attack.

Investigators said he was closely connected to two other doctors, Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganai and Dr Adeel Rather, who were also part of the network through Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad. Dr Ganai, also known as Musaib, originally from Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, had over 300 kilograms of explosives seized from his rented residence. Dr Rather, a graduate of Srinagar’s Government Medical College and a former senior resident at Anantnag’s GMC, was apprehended shortly after Ganai.

The terror module also included a cleric, Irfan Ahmad, who serves as an Imam in Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir. He is accused of radicalising others and recruiting them into the network. Arif Nisar Dar from Nowgam, J-K, maintained close links with the cleric and Dr Ganai, while Yasir Ul Ashraf, another resident of Nowgam, was reportedly managing a business locally. The seventh alleged member, Zameer Ahmad Ahanger, also known as “Mutlasha,” is from Ganderbal. Authorities said the group used encrypted communication channels for coordination, movement, and logistics.

The module was initially uncovered in Faridabad, Haryana, where police questioned more than 50 individuals, including students, faculty, and the principal of Al-Falah Medical College. In a major recovery, police found 360 kilograms of suspected ammonium nitrate and 2,900 kilograms of materials used to make improvised explosive devices, including chemicals, wires, and detonators, in an apartment in Faridabad. In another operation, authorities seized a massive consignment of 2,563 kilograms of explosives from the residence of Hafeez Mohammad Ishtiaq, an Imam at Al-Falah Mosque in Faridabad’s Dhera Colony.

Investigations revealed that the network had connections across multiple states. Individuals from Shopian and Ganderbal in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, were taken into custody in the weeks leading up to the blast. Police also recovered an AK-56 rifle and other ammunition from Anantnag Hospital, along with additional firearms and explosives in Faridabad. Authorities believe the Red Fort blast was closely linked to the explosives stockpiled in Faridabad and may have been hastened after the module was disrupted. Whether the explosion was deliberate or accidental will be determined as the investigation continues.

Immediately after news of the blast broke on Tuesday, Delhi Police and other security agencies rushed to the site. Union Home Minister Amit Shah directed the National Security Guard (NSG), the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and forensic teams to reach the location. The injured were swiftly taken to nearby hospitals, and the vehicle used in the blast was traced and secured. The probe has now been handed over to the NIA, which is leading the ongoing investigation into the Faridabad terror module and the Red Fort explosion.

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