Dr Umar Un Nabi, who has emerged as the prime suspect behind Monday’s suspected car blast near Red Fort, was reportedly the most radicalised member of the Faridabad terror module, investigators revealed on Tuesday. The module included Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie, Dr Adeel Majeed Rather, and Dr Shaheen Shahid, all linked to the Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) network.
Umar called the ‘most radicalised’ member of Faridabad module
Sources connected to the investigation told TOI that Umar, a faculty member at Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad, was known for his extremist views. His colleague Shaheen, during interrogation in Srinagar, reportedly admitted that Umar would often speak about “unleashing multiple terror attacks in the country” whenever they met after work.
Investigators said Umar, along with Muzammil and Adeel, had been stockpiling fertiliser-based explosives such as ammonium nitrate for nearly two years, allegedly to carry out pan-India terror operations on behalf of Pakistan-based JeM handlers.
JeM tasked Umar’s group with creating terror network in India
According to officials, the Faridabad module was working in coordination with a Jaish cell in Jammu and Kashmir, which had earlier been tasked with creating a women’s terror wing in India. Muzammil, Adeel and Shaheen were arrested last week in a joint operation by J&K Police, UP Police and Haryana Police, but Umar managed to escape.
Investigators suspect that Umar went underground before resurfacing as the Red Fort car bomber. He is believed to have packed an i20 car with commercially available explosives and detonators before carrying out Monday’s blast.
Police widen probe, trace ammonium nitrate supplier
During questioning, Shaheen also revealed that her brother, Parvez Sayeed, was part of the same encrypted chat group as the others. A J&K Police team detained Parvez from Lucknow on Tuesday but no significant recoveries were made, suggesting he may have destroyed evidence in anticipation of arrest.
Investigators have identified a Gurugram-based ammonium nitrate supplier, suspected of having provided materials to the group. Raids are expected in the coming days.
Clerics, social media, and the radicalisation of doctors
Officials said the Delhi blast probe has unearthed a larger network of clerics and recruiters operating under JeM’s instructions. Among them is Shopian-based cleric Irfan Ahmad Wagay, believed to have been in touch with Pakistan-based handler Umar bin Khattab, alias Harjulla. Another, Hafiz Mohd Ishtiyak, based in Mewat, allegedly provided logistical support to the Faridabad cell.
“These clerics used social media platforms to indoctrinate highly educated professionals, including doctors, giving their operations a sophisticated cover,” said a senior investigator. “Medicine being a noble profession offered them a perfect disguise for their conspiratorial agenda.”
Past cases of doctors with terror links
This isn’t the first instance of medical professionals being linked to extremist activities. In November 2023, Dr Nisar Ul Hassan, Assistant Professor at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar, was dismissed by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for alleged terror links. Hassan, who led the Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK), was accused of using the organisation to indoctrinate medical professionals towards secessionism, allegedly under the patronage of Pakistani handlers.
Investigators are now exploring whether Hassan played a role in radicalising the doctors connected to the Faridabad module or influencing the Delhi blast suspects.
Investigation underway
Meanwhile, multiple agencies including the Delhi Police Special Cell, NIA, and Intelligence Bureau are jointly analysing CCTV footage, digital communications, and financial trails linked to Umar’s network. Authorities are also verifying whether the explosives used in the Red Fort blast were assembled in Faridabad or smuggled from another state.
Officials said that the hunt for Umar Un Nabi is ongoing, with teams deployed across Delhi-NCR and northern India. “He is a trained radical with medical expertise, which makes him particularly dangerous,” one senior officer said.