Red Fort car blast linked to posters found in Srinagar on October 19

Posters found in an area under the Naugaum police led to arrests across J&K, Haryana; arms were seized from Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad, which included an AK-56 rifle, and ammunition

The Red Fort blast is ultimately linked to the finding of posters in Srinagar which led to an FIR on October 19, according to a senior security source.

The posters were found in an area under the Naugaum police post in the Jammu and Kashmir summer capital.

Investigation into the incident led to the arrest of Maulvi Irfan Ahmed Waghe from Shopian and Zameer Ahmed from Wakura, Ganderbal, between October 20 and October 27.

On November 5, Dr Adeel was apprehended from Saharanpur, and on November 7, an AK-56 rifle with ammunition was seized at Anantnag hospital, the source said.

 

On November 8, more guns, pistols, and gunpowder were seized from Al-Falah Medical College in Haryana's Faridabad.

During their interrogation, forces were tipped-off about other individuals involved in the module, leading to the capture of Dr Muzammil, who was nabbed from Al-Falah Medical College.

More arrests were made based on all these leads, and a large quantity of weapons and gunpowder was seized.

On November 9, a person named Madrasi, a resident of Dhauj, Faridabad, was apprehended from his house.

The very next day, a consignment of explosives, weighing 2,563 kg, was seized from the house of Hafiz Mohammad Ishtiaq, a resident of Mewat, who was working as an Imam at Al-Falah Mosque in Faridabad's Dhera Colony, the source said.

In the raids, 358 kg of explosive material, detonators, timers, and other incriminating material were seized.

In all, security forces seized approximately 3,000 kg of explosives and other bomb-making equipment accumulated by the module.

All this while, Dr Umar, a part of the module, and who was also working at Al-Falah Medical College, changed his location.

The car that blew up near Red Fort on Monday was being driven by Dr Umar, the source said.

This can be almost conclusively stated based on the footage obtained from CCTV cameras, the person said.

The cause of the explosion is also from the same material that was being collected in Faridabad.

Whether the explosion was pre-planned or accidental will soon emerge, the source said.

In essence, a major tragedy was averted with the mass recovery of guns and explosives in Faridabad, the source said.

Umar, flustered by the heat from the security agencies, decamped and whether his panic, anxiety, and lack of options led to the Red Fort explosion, or if it was pre-planned or accidental, will be known later, the person said.

By taking swift and rigorous action in the case of dismantling the Jaish-e-Mohammad module linked to the explosion near the Red Fort, India has responded to terrorism with severity, the source said.