On the night of 14 November 2025, reinforcements rushed to the blast site and ambulances lined up outside the Nowham police station in Srinagar. Photo credit: Imran Nissar
The J&K Police, facing questions over the handling of a large cache of explosives, said on Thursday that a high-level committee has been set up to look into the incident.
A police spokesman said a high-level committee was constituted under the chairmanship of the principal secretary of the home ministry. Its members are Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, District Magistrate, Srinagar and Senior Scientist, Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL), Government of India.
Nine people, including policemen, were killed in an “accidental blast” at Nowgam police station on the night of 14 November. About 2,900 kg of explosives, including ammonium nitrate, were seized by the Nowgam police station in raids in Faridabad on November 9-10. The police station investigated the interstate terror module and arrested seven locals in the case.
Police said it was an “accidental explosion” and warned against “speculation and attempts to mislead the public”.
Demands for a fair investigation into the handling of explosives by the police have been mounting from political parties including the ruling National Conference, CPI(M) and the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
No senior official or scientist from FSL was present at the time of the explosion. The hiring of a civilian tailor was also questioned. Political parties also questioned the move to collect explosives at the police station located in the congested Nowgam locality of Srinagar.
At least 32 people, including 27 police officers, were also injured in the explosion.
Published – 20 Nov 2025 21:12 IST
