J&K police station blast has links to Faridabad: All you need to know

A blast at a J&K police station killed nine people and injured 27 others while officers handled explosives linked to a Faridabad terror module

An accidental explosion inside Nowgam police station in Srinagar late Friday night killed nine people and injured 27 others while officials were extracting samples from a large cache of explosives seized in the “white-collar terror module” case, news agency PTI reported.

 

According to officials, those killed included three members of the Forensic Science Laboratory, two officials from the Revenue Department, including a Naib Tehsildar, two police photographers, one State Investigation Agency member and a tailor. As many as 24 police personnel and three civilians are undergoing treatment in different hospitals.

 

Explosives from Faridabad triggered the blast

 

The explosion occurred when personnel were handling explosive material brought from Faridabad in Haryana. The blast was attributed to the unstable nature of the chemicals. The explosives were part of the 360 kg recovered from the rented residence of arrested accused Muzammil Ganaie. While some of the material was stored at the forensic laboratory, most of it remained at the Nowgam police station where the investigation began.

 

The powerful blast damaged the police station building and triggered small secondary explosions, delaying rescue work.   

 

Terror module cracked through poster probe

 

The investigation into the module began after threatening posters targeting police and security forces appeared in Bunpora, Nowgam, in mid-October. Srinagar Police registered a case on October 19 and formed a dedicated team.

 

A detailed analysis of CCTV footage led to the arrest of the first three suspects - Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid - who had previous cases of stone pelting. Their interrogation revealed the role of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a former paramedic turned Imam, who supplied the posters and allegedly radicalised doctors.

 

The probe then led officers to Al Falah University in Faridabad, where they arrested Dr Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed. Here, investigators found a huge stock of chemicals including ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sulphur.

 

Officials believe the core module was led by three doctors -- Ganaie, Umar Nabi (who drove the explosives-laden car that blew up near Red Fort on November 10), and the absconding Dr Muzzaffar Rather. The role of another arrested doctor, Dr Adeel Rather, remains under investigation.

 

Ladakh L-G on Nowgam Police Station blast

 

Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy. "Deeply anguished by the tragic explosion at Nowgam Police Station in Srinagar. My heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, and prayers for the swift recovery of the injured," he wrote on X.

 

Senior officials, including Inspector General of CRPF Pawan Kumar Sharma and DGP Nalin Prabhat, visited the site to review the situation. Authorities cordoned off the area, deployed sniffer dogs and initiated a detailed inquiry. The public has been advised to avoid the vicinity.   

 

Delhi blast links and major explosives recoveries

 

Sources said the module busted in this case is also linked to the November 10 blast near Delhi’s Red Fort. The investigation involved arrests from Shopian, Ganderbal and Uttar Pradesh, news agency ANI reported.

 

A massive haul of nearly 3,000 kg of explosives, detonators and bomb-making devices was seized during raids in Faridabad and Mewat, including a 2,563-kg consignment recovered from the home of Imam Hafeez Mohammad Ishtiaq.

 

CCTV footage confirmed that Umar, a medical practitioner from Al Falah Medical College, was driving the car involved in the Red Fort explosion. Investigators are determining whether that blast was planned or accidental.

 

(With agency inputs)