The investigation into the recent car explosion near the Red Fort has led authorities to dismantle a terror cell allegedly affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), tracing its origins back to an unexpected meeting between a cleric and a medical professional.

Investigators believe the nucleus of the module was formed in 2023 following a chance interaction between Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay, a cleric based in Srinagar, and Muzammil Ahmad Ganai, a doctor. The two reportedly established an “ideological bond” when Wagay visited a hospital where Ganai was working. This connection was maintained even after Ganai left the Kashmir Valley for a new job in Haryana.

Key Figures in the Module

The individuals arrested in connection with the cell include:

• Muzammil Ahmad Ganai: The doctor whose initial meeting with the cleric proved pivotal.
• Umar Nabi: Confirmed by DNA tests to be the driver of the vehicle that detonated near the Red Fort. He was a professional colleague of Ganai’s at the Al Falah School of Medical Sciences & Research Centre in Faridabad.
• Dr. Shaheen Shahid Ansari: Also worked at the Faridabad institution and is suspected of providing financial resources and the use of her vehicle to the group.
• Adeel Majeed Rather: An employee at a private hospital in Saharanpur.

When questioned, the arrested doctors reportedly indicated to investigators that their actions were motivated by a concern for the “plight” of Muslims globally and in Jammu and Kashmir.

Unraveling the Network

The breakthrough in the case came when Wagay was identified as the crucial link connecting the Red Fort blast to an earlier police action. In October, a separate probe was launched in Kashmir following the appearance of JeM-related posters. CCTV evidence and interviews with two local youths eventually guided police to Wagay.

It was during Wagay’s interrogation that he first mentioned his acquaintance with the Faridabad doctor, Ganai. However, sources suggest the cleric was unaware that the group had moved from ideological discussion to the operational planning of an attack.

While some of the arrested members claimed the group was still in the planning phase and had no part in the Red Fort incident, investigators speculate that the confirmed bomber, Umar Nabi, may have acted prematurely or out of heightened vulnerability. The seriousness of the module’s intentions was underscored by a significant discovery: a cache of over 350 kg of explosives and an AK-47 assault rifle recovered from a doctor’s rented accommodation in Faridabad. Digital devices seized from the suspects are currently undergoing forensic analysis.