The investigators probing the Red Fort blast case are also closely investigating the crucial role played by two clerics, hailing from Shopian and Haryana, while indoctrinating the minds of members belonging to the ‘white collar’ terror module involved in the blast.
Out of these two clerics, Moulvi Irfan Ahmad, hailing from Shopian, was among those picked up by the police when the investigations were at the preliminary stage, and even the police teams had no inkling that he might lead them to busting the pan-India network of radicalised doctors.
During his interrogation, the police teams came to know about the involvement of Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather and his accomplice, Dr Muzammil. As the police launched a hot chase to nab the members of the ‘White collar’ terror module, they stumbled upon the 2900 kilograms of explosives stored in rented accommodation near Al-Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana.
At this stage, another cleric came on the radar of the police teams hailing from Haryana. The preacher was identified as Maulvi Ishtiyaq. According to police, it was Maulvi Ishtiyaq, who had first rented his home near Faridabad’s Al Falah University to store explosives.
On Wednesday, he was shifted to Srinagar to carry out further investigation in the case and establish his linkages with the Kashmir-based doctors suspected to be behind the terror plot.
According to police, Maulvi Ishtiyaq was a regular at Al-Falah University campus and used to deliver religious sermons.
It was from his rented home that police recovered more than 2,500 kg of ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate and sulphur, the police said.
The explosives were stored by Dr Muzammil Ganaie, alias Musaib and Dr Umar Nabi, the man who was driving an explosives-laden car which detonated outside the Red Fort on Monday evening.
Maulvi Istiyaq has become the ninth person to be nabbed in the case by police, which carried out interstate raids on November 10 along with their counterparts in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to unravel a ‘white-collar’ terror network of banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
In Srinagar, Maulvi Irfan Ahmad also played a crucial role in radicalising medical students. He was a paramedical in GMC Srinagar and was in touch with all students. He was also an Imam in Nowgam Mosque.
While investigating the origin of terrorist posters, the police teams rounded up a group of overground workers. During their preliminary round of investigation, the OGWs identified the role of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad. His inputs led to the arrest of Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather and Zameer Ahangar, who were associated with the Shopian cleric. This led the J&K Police to Dr Muzammil, also working at Al Falah University.
