Acted in panic, desperation after module busted, say cops on Red Fort explosion

NEW new delhi: Investigations into the gondola blowup close the red river Fort on Monday have revealed that the attackers may have acted in “panic and desperation” due to a multi-state crackdown by the security agencies on the alleged “white collar terror module” of Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) over the past week, people familiar with the development said on Tuesday.Dr Umar Nabi, suspected to be the attacker driving the i20 car on Monday, is believed to have acted “hastily” under mounting pressure of being caught by the police, as his associates had already been detained in Faridabad and Jammu and Kashmir, the people said.“Raids by security agencies across multiple locations in Delhi-NCR and Pulwama, recovery of significant quantities of explosives, are believed to have led the suspect to act hastily under mounting pressure,” said an officer, who asked not to be named.“The explosion was caused by panic and desperation due to raids carried out by the security agencies to nab them. The bomb was premature and not fully developed, thus limiting the impact,” the officer added.During raids carried out from November 8 to 10 in Faridabad against a terror network spanning Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, security agencies seized almost 3,000 kg of explosives, along with detonators, timers and other bomb making material, and apprehended half a dozen individuals, including two doctors. The module was suspected to be linked to the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), with foreign handlers operating from Pakistan and other Gulf countries. Dr Umar, who worked at Al-Falah hospital in Faridabad, was allegedly part of this network.A second officer said that the first clues about the module emerged on October 19, when the Jammu and Kashmir police discovered some objectionable posters in the Naugam area.During the probe, two persons - Maulvi Irfan Ahmad and Zamir Ahmad were arrested.On November 5, one Dr Aqil was apprehended from Saharanpur. Two days later, an AK-56 rifle and other explosives were seized from an Anantnag Hospital. Subsequently, on 8 November, additional guns, pistols, and explosives were recovered from Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad.“During interrogation, information about other individuals involved in the module was obtained, leading to the arrest of another person, Dr Muzammil from Al-Falah Medical College. Based on these leads, further arrests were made, and a large quantity of arms and explosives was recovered. On November 9, a person known as Madrasi was arrested from Dhauj, Faridabad.The following day, a massive cache of 2,563 kg of explosive ingredients was seized from the residence of Hafeez Mohammad Ishtiyaq, an Imam at Al-Falah Mosque and a resident of Mewat, located in Dhera Colony, Faridabad,” said a second officer.During raids, an additional 358 kilograms of explosive material, along with detonators and timers, were also seized.Dr Umar, however, “managed to escape as agencies intensified their crackdown”.“Umar was driving the i20 used in the blast, which has been conclusively established from the CCTV footage,” he said.The probe has also established that the explosive material used in the bomb at Red Fort was from the same consignment recovered by agencies in Faridabad.“In a state of panic and desperation following the agencies’ success, he moved towards Red Fort…. However, it is certain that this event was an integral part of the same chain of incidents that led to the exposure of a major terror network and the recovery of large quantities of explosives,” said a third officer.Officials added that by dismantling this module, agencies have foiled a major terror conspiracy as they were most likely planning major attacks across the country.The NIA, the third officer said, is probing all aspects related to this terror module — including its funding and operational networks.