Investigators probing the Delhi Red Fort car blast, which killed 10 people and injured over 20 others, have traced the origin of the Faridabad terror module involving the arrested doctors to two Telegram groups operated by a Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) operative. The groups, Farzandan-e-Darul Uloom (Deoband) and Umar bin Khattab, are believed to have played a key role in the radicalisation of the accused doctors.
According to investigation sources, Dr Umar Nabi, who was driving the Hyundai i20 car that exploded near Red Fort on Monday evening, and Imam Irfan Ahmad Wagah, the cleric from Shopian believed to be behind the radicalisation of the doctors, began their online interaction through one of these groups.
Officials said that initial conversations on these Telegram channels focused on “Kashmir’s Aazadi” and the “suppression of Kashmiris”, before gradually shifting to broader themes of global jihad and retribution.
Investigators believe that both Dr Umar and Wagah met their handlers during a trip to Turkey, which marked a turning point in the module’s consolidation. Following their return, the group reportedly expanded its activities across multiple states in India.
Among the key suspects, Dr. Muzammil joined Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad, while Dr Adeel was posted in Saharanpur. Other members were placed in different states to manage recruitment and logistics. Agencies are now working to identify everyone who maintained communication with the module members through the same online networks.
Sources added that Dr Umar, along with arrested doctors Dr. Muzammil and Dr Shaheen, were part of a 9–10 member terror logistics network, which allegedly included five to six medical professionals. The accused are said to have used their medical positions to procure materials, assemble explosives, and coordinate operations for the terror network.
Investigators believe Dr Umar was driving the car that exploded near Red Fort. DNA samples have been collected from his family and are being matched with evidence from the blast site to confirm his identity.
Reports indicate that Dr Umar was expelled from a hospital in Anantnag after a patient’s death and later joined the Al-Falah School of Medical Science in Faridabad in 2023. As part of the ongoing probe, investigators are analysing mobile tower data from the Red Fort area to identify who Dr. Umar contacted between 3:00 pm and 6:30 pm on the day of the explosion.
Meanwhile, Imam Irfan Ahmad Wagah was arrested a day after the Faridabad explosives bust and the Red Fort blast, which prompted a multi-agency investigation. A former paramedical worker at Srinagar’s Government Medical College and ex-imam in Nowgam, Wagah is alleged to have played a central role in recruiting and radicalising doctors through online religious outreach, according to intelligence inputs.
Authorities, including Counterintelligence Kashmir and Srinagar Police, have also detained Wagah’s wife for her alleged role in recruiting and indoctrinating doctors and youth in the Kashmir Valley.
The probe continues to focus on the online radicalisation networks and their links to Pakistan-based handlers, as agencies expand the investigation across multiple states to dismantle what officials describe as a “medical professionals’ terror network” operating under Jaish-e-Mohammad’s influence.
(Source: India Today)
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