Kashmiri Doctors' Five-Year Radicalisation Path Led to Deadly Delhi Red Fort Bombing

Delhi blast accused Umar-un-Nabi (L), Adeel Ahmed Rather (middle) and Muzammil Shakeel (right)

New Delhi:

The doctors implicated in the fatal November 10 Delhi blast underwent radicalisation over a five-year period, according to sources close to the investigation team who spoke with NDTV on Monday.

The explosion claimed fifteen lives and left more than a dozen injured when a Hyundai i20 vehicle operated by Umar-un-Nabi, a doctor from Kashmir affiliated with Al-Falah University in Faridabad near Delhi, detonated in proximity to the historic Red Fort.

Investigators have identified the principal suspects as Muzammil Shakeel Ganai, Adeel Ahmed Rather and his sibling Muzaffar Ahmed Rather, all Kashmiri physicians employed at Al-Falah University, alongside Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay, another Kashmir resident.

While authorities have apprehended Muzammil, Adeel and Mufti along with their associate Shaheen Saeed, an instructor at Al-Falah University from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, reports indicate Muzaffar has escaped the country.

Sources revealed their radicalisation process began during their MBBS studies or internship periods. Their handlers initiated contact in 2020 and gradually indoctrinated them, transforming them into potential suicide attackers.

The suspects were allegedly shown artificially generated videos depicting violence against Muslims to instill hatred and facilitate their recruitment for terrorist activities, according to investigation sources.

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The accused belonged to a sophisticated "white-collar" terror network connected to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an al-Qaeda affiliated organization, which was discovered shortly before the Delhi explosion.

Sources indicated that Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay initiated the radicalisation process, beginning with Muzammil Shakeel Ganai, whom he encountered at the Government Medical College in Srinagar during 2023.

Subsequently, Muzammil assisted Wagay in expanding their terrorist network by recruiting additional members including Adeel Ahmed Rather, Umar-un-Nabi and Shaheen Saeed.

The ongoing investigation has uncovered plans for as many as 32 vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices intended for deployment across Delhi and other states.

Hours preceding the explosion, Jammu and Kashmir Police announced they had dismantled an interstate and transnational 'white-collar' terror operation. They seized 2,900 kilograms of explosive materials, including ammonium nitrate, reportedly utilized in the Delhi blast.

(With inputs from Pradeep Dutta)