The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir along with the state’s special operation group have made a fresh arrest in the Delhi blast case that took place on November 10 near the Red Fort.
Tufail Niyaz Bhat, the arrested individual who worked as an electrician in Pulwama, is a native of Srinagar. He was detained in an industrial zone and taken in for questioning.
Hindustan Times spoke to a local CID officer who revealed that there is concrete evidence of Bhat’s involvement in planning the Delhi blast.
At least 14 people, including Umar Un Nabi, the suicide bomber, died in the November 10 blast.
How the module was destroyed
The entire white-collar terror cell was arrested following an investigation by the Srinagar police into putting up posters threatening police and security officials in Nowgam and Bunpora in October.
Superintendent of Police (Srinagar) Dr. GV Sundeep Chakravarthy. The first three suspects – Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid – were arrested after analysis of CCTV footage.
The person who provided them with these posters was one rescuer turned Imam, Maulvi Irfan Ahmad. He is believed to have radicalized the doctors involved in the Delhi blast.
The investigation then led the police to Al-Falah University in Faridabad, where Dr. Muzzafar Ganaie and Dr. Shaheen Sayeeda and also recovered 2,900 kg of explosives from them.
The module is believed to be driven by Dr. Ganaie, Umar Nabi (the person who drives the car loaded with explosives) and Muzzaffar Rather, who is currently on the run.
Al-Falah University’s longstanding terrorist ties
The investigation also revealed that Al-Falah University has long-standing links with terror operatives, according to PTI.
Mirza Shadab Baig, the fugitive Indian Mujahideen bomber wanted in the 2008 serial blast case, was a former student of the institution.
Baig, who is accused in the 2008 Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Gorakhpur serial blasts, completed his BTech in Electronics and Instrumentation from Al-Falah in 2007.
He has been missing since the 2008 Batla House encounter.
Baig was last tracked in Afghanistan in 2019 and Indian agencies believe he is currently based out of Saudi Arabia.
A Punjab Police team also visited the campus to question people regarding the 45-year-old doctor arrested from Pathankot. Police believe the doctor is still in touch with some of his students at the university. The police team also gathered information about his association with Nabi.
