White-collar terror module hunted for suicide bomber for a year, say officials

THe sophisticated ‘white-collar’ scourge module of late busted by the Jammu and cashmere law had been trenchant for a suicide bomber since 2024, officials said on Sunday.The hunt was reportedly driven by Dr Umar Nabi, considered the key planner of the module, PTI reported.According to investigators, a co-accused revealed during questioning that Umar believed to have died in the explosives-laden car that blew up near the Red Fort on November 10 was a “hardcore radical” who insisted that their operations required a suicide attacker.Also Read | White-collar terror module: 15 people detained for questioning in Kashmir valleyWhat happened?Acting on these inputs, Srinagar Police sent a team to Qazigund and detained Jasir alias ‘Danish’, a political science graduate. His name surfaced during the interrogation of other arrested doctors, including Dr Adeel Rather and Dr Muzzaffar Ganaie.The police team led by Srinagar SSP Dr G V Sundeep Chakravarthy eventually unraveled the entire ‘white-collar’ module.Jasir told police he first met the ‘doctor module’ in October last year at a mosque in Kulgam.From there, he was taken to a rented accommodation linked to Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana.He said while some members wanted him to work as an over-ground worker (OGW) for the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed, Umar spent months trying to convince him to become a suicide bomber.The plan collapsed in April this year when Jasir refused, citing financial difficulties and his belief that suicide is forbidden in Islam.Also Read | 9 dead, ‘white collar terror module' case link: What we know about Nowgam blastWhy the new revelation is important?This revelation about the group scouting for a suicide bomber adds a dangerous layer to the ongoing probe into the Jaish-e-Mohammed-linked interstate terror network.As reported earlier by PTI, Umar, a 28-year-old doctor from Pulwama, emerged as the most radicalised member of the group. Investigators believe he was preparing a powerful vehicle-borne IED attack around the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary on December 6.Umar’s radical shift is believed to have begun after a 2021 trip to Turkiye with co-accused Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie, during which they allegedly met JeM over-ground workers.After returning, Umar and Ganaie, who were both associated with Al Falah University, started procuring large quantities of chemicals — including 360 kg of ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and sulphur. Much of this material was stored near the university campus.Their December plot unraveled when Srinagar Police arrested Ganaie and seized the explosives. Investigators believe this may have triggered panic in Umar, ultimately leading to the premature blast near the Red Fort that killed 13 people.The wider network was uncovered after a seemingly small incident: JeM posters appeared on walls in Bunpora, Nowgam, on October 19. The police reviewed CCTV footage and arrested three locals, Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid — all with past stone-pelting cases.Their interrogation led to the arrest of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a former paramedic-turned-Imam from Shopian, who allegedly supplied the posters and played a key role in radicalizing the doctors.