Jammu and Kashmir police have said they have detained Tajamul Ahmed Malik, a doctor from Srinagar, in connection with the investigation into the Red Fort explosion that killed 13 people on Monday evening. Officials said Malik’s detention is a key development in the ongoing probe, which has been tracing the activities of a so-called “white-collar terror ecosystem” operating through professional and academic networks.
According to the police, the investigation began after posters linked to the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were spotted on October 19 in Srinagar’s Bunpora Nowgam area, raising alarms among security agencies. Authorities said the network included professionals and students who posed as academics and used charitable fronts and encrypted communication to transport explosives and funds.
Jammu and Kashmir Police have already arrested several doctors linked to the module. Dr. Muzammil Ganaie, 35, from Pulwama, worked at Al-Falah University in Faridabad. Police said his questioning led them to 358 kilograms of suspected ammonium nitrate, bomb-making materials, a pistol, an assault rifle, and ammunition. “The scale of explosives recovered points to a larger, well-planned attack,” an official said.
Dr. Adeel Ahmad Rather from Kulgam, who also worked at the university hospital, was arrested in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Authorities recovered an AK-47 rifle from his locker at GMC Srinagar. Dr. Shaheen Sayeed, a resident of Lucknow, was allegedly organising the women’s branch of JeM in India, called Jamaat-ul-Mominaat. Police said she had links to the Faridabad explosives cache. Another doctor, Dr. Umar Mohammad from Pulwama, is believed to have helped store and distribute explosives. CCTV footage shows him in the car involved in the blast.
Additional arrests include Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Khan. Investigators also discovered several Pakistan-based phone numbers on the mobile phones of the arrested doctors, indicating international links. “Preliminary reports suggest that Al-Falah University Hospital may have been used not just to store, but also to prepare explosives,” a police officer said.
In response to the investigation, security around the Red Fort has been tightened, and the site remains closed to visitors. Authorities said the probe is ongoing and further arrests are expected as they continue to dismantle the terror network.
