Special Report: Jaish’s ‘Doctor Terror Module’ Linked to Red Fort Blast Unmasked by NIA

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over what officials describe as one of India’s most sophisticated terror networks — a Jaish-e-Mohammad-linked ‘Doctor Terror Module’ accused of orchestrating the Red Fort car blast that killed 10 and injured over 20 people in the heart of Delhi on November 10.

What makes this case particularly alarming is that the conspirators were not hardened militants but educated medical professionals — individuals who allegedly used their technical skills and professional cover to plan, transport, and assemble explosives across multiple Indian states.

The Red Fort Blast: The Trigger

The investigation began after a Hyundai i20 car exploded near Gate No. 1 of Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station around 6:52 PM on November 10. The explosion sent shockwaves across the capital, coming just metres away from one of India’s most heavily guarded heritage sites.

The blast, initially suspected to be a gas leak, was soon confirmed to involve military-grade explosives. Within 24 hours, coordinated raids were launched across Faridabad (Haryana), Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh), and Shopian (Jammu & Kashmir).

By November 12, authorities had seized nearly 3,000 kilograms of explosive materials, detonators, and chemical compounds used in the making of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

The Arrests: Doctors Turned Operatives

Among the arrested were three key figures now at the centre of the NIA’s investigation:

• Dr. Umar Un Nabi, a physician from Shopian, considered the mastermind and ideological anchor of the module.

• Dr. Muzamil Ahmad Ganaie, an assistant professor at Al Falah Medical College, Faridabad, allegedly responsible for assembling explosives using chemicals sourced from labs.

• Dr. Shaheen Sayeed, a pathologist from Pulwama, who reportedly handled funding, logistics, and covert communication channels.

Sources told All India Story that these individuals were part of a larger nine-member network, of which at least six were qualified doctors or medical researchers.

“This became what we now call a ‘Doctor Terror Module,’” said senior correspondent Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu, who has been tracking the case. “It’s shocking because these are well-educated professionals who chose radical ideology over saving lives.”

Turkey Trip Under Scanner

Investigators have zeroed in on the group’s 2023 visit to Turkey, which now appears to be a turning point in their radicalisation and training.

According to intelligence inputs, several module members attended a medical exchange program in Istanbul, during which they allegedly met handlers linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad and its offshoot networks operating from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

“The Turkey trip was no ordinary conference,” said a senior NIA source. “It was the moment where ideology met logistics — where the doctors were groomed for their operational roles.”

After returning to India, the members spread out — one to Faridabad, another to Saharanpur, and others across Kashmir and Delhi NCR — quietly building what investigators now describe as a ‘distributed logistics chain’ for terror operations.

The Telegram Connection: Radicalisation in Encrypted Spaces

Forensic teams have uncovered evidence that the module communicated primarily through two encrypted Telegram groups —

• Farzandan-e-Darul Uloom (Deoband)

• Umar bin Khattab Forum (run by a Jaish handler in Pakistan)

In these channels, the members were indoctrinated with extremist sermons, battle footage, and instructions on bomb-making disguised as “academic experiments.”

Dr. Umar Nabi, who had studied theology informally alongside medicine, reportedly became the ideological bridge between the foreign handlers and local recruits.

3,000 Kg Explosives Seized Across States

The largest cache was found in Faridabad, where a rented storage facility contained over 2,700 kg of ammonium nitrate and potassium chlorate compounds — key ingredients for IED fabrication.

Additional raids in Pulwama and Saharanpur yielded smaller stockpiles of detonators, remote triggering devices, and even medical-grade containers used for covert transport.

Preliminary analysis suggests the explosives were meant for multiple attacks, not just the Red Fort blast. Investigators suspect Delhi, Gurugram, and Lucknow were on the target list.

NIA’s Special Team and Ongoing Probe

The NIA has formed a 10-member special investigation team (SIT) led by an ADG-rank officer, supported by officers from the Intelligence Bureau, Delhi Police, and Jammu & Kashmir Police.

Digital forensics are being handled by the National Cyber Crime Center, while the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) has been roped in for chemical and biological residue analysis.

The probe aims to establish whether the Faridabad seizure and Red Fort explosion were part of the same network — and if cross-border handlers coordinated both via encrypted online platforms.

Jaish’s New Playbook: Educated Radicals

Officials believe this marks a dangerous shift in Jaish’s recruitment strategy — targeting educated, urban professionals with access to technical skills and institutional infrastructure.

Unlike traditional sleeper cells, the doctor module operated under the cover of legitimate employment, making detection difficult.

“They used their credentials to procure materials, move between states, and establish credibility,” said an NIA officer. “This is hybrid terrorism — clinical precision mixed with ideological extremism.”

Amit Shah’s Security Review

Following the revelations, Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened an emergency security review meeting on Tuesday with senior officials from the MHA, IB, and NIA.

The meeting emphasised enhanced inter-agency coordination, intelligence monitoring of foreign travel, and vetting of professional networks vulnerable to radical infiltration.

“This incident underlines the need for vigilance, especially when terror groups are targeting educated youth through digital radicalisation,” a senior MHA official said.

The Road Ahead

As the NIA widens its net, several more suspects — including two medical interns and one academic researcher from Hyderabad and Lucknow — are under scanner for links to the module.

The investigation is expected to reveal how ideology, technology, and professional access combined to create a new template of homegrown radicalisation in India.

As one counterterror officer summed it up:

“This is terrorism in a lab coat — and it’s one of the most dangerous forms we’ve seen yet.”