Red Fort probe: White collar terrorists were planning multi-city attacks

The investigation into the recent Delhi blast has uncovered an extensive and sinister plot by a Jaish-linked white-collar terror module that intended to carry out coordinated explosions across multiple Indian cities.

- TIKAM SHARMA

One of the arrested suspects, during interrogation, admitted that the conspiracy was conceived as far back as 2023, sources told The Sunday Guardian. As agencies pieced together the chain of events behind the 10/11 Red Fort blast, they found that the explosion—triggered in an i20 car close to the historic monument—was most likely a panic detonation. At least 13 people lost their lives, and investigators believe the premature blast thwarted what was originally meant to be a large-scale serial-bombing plot.

A major breakthrough in the probe came when terror accused Muzammil gave a detailed confession to the investigators. He revealed that the plan to execute bombings in Delhi and other cities was finalised in 2023, and that he had been sourcing explosive materials over the last two years. According to his statement, Muzammil was tasked with procuring ammonium nitrate and urea. He purchased 26 quintals of NPK fertilizer from markets in Gurugram and Nuh for a sum of Rs 3 lakh. The responsibility of converting this fertilizer into a potent explosive mixture lay with Dr. Umar. Financial backing for the plan had already been arranged: a total of Rs 26 lakh was pooled and handed over to Umar for preparing the explosives. Muzammil contributed Rs5 lakh, Adil provided Rs8 lakh, and Muzaffar added Rs6 lakh. Umar himself put in Rs2 lakh, and Dr. Shaheen gave another Rs5 lakh.