Updated: Nov 16, 2025, 09:39 pm IST

The ‘white-collar’ terror module recently dismantled by Jammu & Kashmir Police had been scouting for a suicide bomber since 2024, officials revealed on Sunday. The effort was allegedly led by Dr Umar Nabi, considered the mastermind of the network linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

Key Planner Wanted a Suicide Attacker

Investigators told PTI that a co-accused disclosed how Umar — believed to have died in the explosives-laden car that detonated near Delhi’s Red Fort on November 10 — was a “hardcore radical” fixated on deploying a suicide bomber for their planned operations.

How Police Cracked the Module

Acting on fresh intelligence, Srinagar Police detained a political science graduate, Jasir alias ‘Danish’, from Qazigund. His name had surfaced during the interrogation of arrested doctors, including Dr Adeel Rather and Dr Muzzaffar Ganaie.

A team led by Srinagar SSP Dr G V Sundeep Chakravarthy pieced together details of the high-skilled terror cell. Jasir told police he met the doctor group in October 2024 at a mosque in Kulgam. He was then taken to a rented flat associated with Al Falah University, Faridabad.

According to Jasir, some members wanted him to act as an over-ground worker (OGW) for JeM, but Umar spent months pressuring him to become a suicide bomber. In April 2025, Jasir refused, citing financial hardship and religious objections to suicide, causing the plan to stall.

Why This Matters

The revelation confirms that the module had a long-term plan to carry out a major suicide attack. Umar, a 28-year-old doctor from Pulwama, is believed to have been preparing a major vehicle-borne IED strike around the December 6 Babri Masjid demolition anniversary.

His radicalisation reportedly deepened after a 2021 trip to Turkiye with co-accused Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie, where the two allegedly met JeM over-ground workers. After their return, the duo, both associated with Al Falah University, procured large quantities of chemicals, including 360 kg of ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and sulphur—much of it stored near the campus.

The broader plot began to unravel earlier this year when Ganaie was arrested and explosives were seized. Investigators suspect this triggered panic in Umar, leading to the premature blast near Red Fort that killed 13 people.

How the Network Was Exposed

The breakthrough began with a minor incident: JeM posters appeared in Bunpora, Nowgam, on October 19. Police reviewed CCTV footage and arrested three locals — Arif Nisar Dar (Sahil), Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar (Shahid) — all with stone-pelting histories.

Their questioning led police to Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a former paramedic-turned-Imam from Shopian, who allegedly supplied the posters and played a major role in radicalising the doctors at the centre of the module.