A senior member of the Kashmir-based terror module currently under investigation for the Red Fort blast is believed to have travelled to Afghanistan in mid-August, according to intelligence sources cited by The Print. Agencies suspect the group was preparing what could have been the largest coordinated terrorist attack in India since 1993.
Intelligence officials told the publication that Muzaffar Ahmad Rather, a 33-year-old paediatrician from Srinagar, left India earlier this year and was expected to act as a liaison between the Kashmir group and Afghanistan-based jihadist commanders for guidance on bomb-making and assault tactics. Muzaffar is the elder brother of Adeel Ahmad Rather, the 31-year-old doctor arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, as the alleged head of the module.
According to the J&K Police, a Kalashnikov rifle and ammunition were recovered from one of Adeel’s lockers during raids linked to the investigation. The case has also drawn attention to a network of Kashmiri doctors who were working at Al Falah Hospital in Faridabad.
Among them was Dr Umar un Nabi, who died in the 10 November blast near Delhi’s Red Fort metro station. Officials said he was driving a white Hyundai i20 that exploded while he was allegedly attempting to flee with explosives collected by the group.
The Rather family did not respond to The Print’s request for comment regarding Muzaffar’s current location.
Journey to Afghanistan
An intelligence officer told The Print that Muzaffar first travelled to Dubai before departing for Afghanistan. The officer said Muzaffar informed his family that he wished to “serve a truly Islamic society and state.” Intelligence assessments suggest Muzaffar had previously attempted to reach Afghanistan in March 2022 along with two other doctors, Faridabad-based senior resident Muzammil Ahmad Gani and his colleague Umar un Nabi via Turkey. The group reportedly failed in the attempt, which investigators believe may have been a turning point in their radicalisation.
Officials stated that extremist groups have increasingly relied on online platforms to deliver basic training in weapons use, combat tactics and improvised explosive devices.
A second intelligence officer said Muzaffar’s eventual departure to Afghanistan indicated that planning for the attacks had reached a critical phase.
Cleric’s Role and Funding Trail
Intelligence sources also told The Print that Kashmiri cleric Irfan Ahmad, who ran a study circle in Srinagar, introduced the doctors to jihadist commanders operating in the Kunar region of Afghanistan. The cleric is alleged to have facilitated access to assault weapons that had been hidden by Nadeem Muzaffar, a former member of the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind who was killed in 2018.
The study group was said to be influenced by a strain of Deobandi ideology associated with Hyderabad cleric Abdul Aleem Islahi, and by Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind’s rejection of militant factions tied to state intelligence networks.
Investigators alleged that Lucknow-based doctor Shaheen Saeed largely funded the group’s foreign travel and procurement of chemicals for the planned bombings.
According to the United Nations Security Council, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad have operated training camps in southern Afghanistan in recent years, and several Kashmir-linked jihadists have held roles in these networks.
Background of the Suspects
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) official told The Print that investigators have sought to understand why Adeel and his associates established a terror cell after 2021. Adeel, the son of a local tehsildar from Wanpora village, studied at Crescent School and Yar Kushi Pora Government School before earning admission to the Government Medical College, Srinagar, in his first attempt. He completed senior residency in 2024.
Muzaffar, the eldest surviving brother, completed his medical degree two years earlier, while another elder brother, Zakir Ahmad Rather, is a veterinary scientist. Their sister, Gowhar Jan, holds a postgraduate degree in medicine and is married to a pharmaceutical businessman in Kulgam. She said it was “impossible to believe” that her brothers were involved in terrorism, describing them as deeply religious and compassionate.
Adeel married psychiatrist Syed Ruqaya in early October. Guests told The Print that Muzaffar’s absence at the wedding was attributed to employment in Dubai. After the ceremony, the couple took an eight-day trip to Kerala before returning to work.
Plans and Material Prepared
Intelligence officials said the group faced logistical difficulties in advancing its plan. While they managed to acquire timers, they reportedly had only three vehicles and struggled to source detonators. This led them to experiment with acid-based triggering mechanisms.
Investigators believe the group had accumulated several thousand kilograms of ammonium nitrate and other incendiary materials since 2022. Comparisons have been drawn to the 2006 Mumbai train bombings, in which seven IEDs packed with ammonium nitrate killed over 200 people.
The investigation into the Red Fort blast and the wider terror module remains ongoing.
(Source: The Print)
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