Turkey trip, Telegram chats, Jaish handler: How doctors’ module was radicalised

Investigators probing the Delhi Red Fort car blast, which killed ten people and injured more than 20 others, have traced the origins of the Faridabad-based terror module involving several doctors to two encrypted Telegram groups—Farzandan-e-Darul Uloom (Deoband) and Umar bin Khattab—both reportedly operated by a Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad handler.According to intelligence sources, the doctors were gradually radicalised through these online platforms, where religious and ideological content was shared under the guise of scholarly discussions. Dr Umar Nabi, who allegedly drove the Hyundai i20 that exploded near Red Fort on Monday evening, first came in contact with Shopian-based cleric Imam Irfan Ahmad Wagah on one of these chat groups.Investigators believe the radicalisation deepened after a trip to Turkey, where the duo is suspected to have met their Jaish handler in person. Officials describe this meeting as a turning point in consolidating the group’s network, as activities expanded across multiple states following their return.Dr Muzammil, later associated with Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad, and Dr Adeel, posted in Saharanpur, reportedly formed the logistical backbone of the module. Other members were strategically placed in different parts of India to oversee recruitment, financing, and explosives procurement.Sources said that a multi-agency team is now identifying all individuals who communicated with the module members or were added to the Telegram channels.Following the blast, investigators collected DNA samples from Dr Umar’s family to match with remains found at the explosion site, confirming his identity. Dr Umar had been expelled from a hospital in Anantnag in 2022 after a patient’s death and subsequently joined Al-Falah School of Medical Science in 2023.As part of the ongoing probe, investigators are analysing mobile tower data from the Red Fort area to determine Dr Umar’s contacts between 3:00 pm and 6:30 pm on the day of the explosion.Meanwhile, Imam Irfan Ahmad Wagah was detained a day after the Faridabad explosives bust. A former paramedical worker at Srinagar’s Government Medical College and ex-imam in Nowgam, he is accused of recruiting medical professionals and instilling extremist ideologies among them. His wife has also been taken into custody by Counterintelligence Kashmir and Srinagar Police for allegedly aiding in the recruitment and radicalisation of doctors and youth across the Valley.