South Kashmir youth refused terror attack mission, sources say was brainwashed by Dr Umar

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has intensified its probe into the recent Red Fort blast and the Faridabad terror module bust. In a major breakthrough, the agency arrested Amir Rashid Ali from Delhi, the individual in whose name the car used in the attack was registered. The NIA took over the case from the Delhi Police and launched a large-scale search operation, leading to his arrest.

In a related development, Jammu & Kashmir Police have made several arrests over the past week. Srinagar Police detained a youth from Qazigund in connection with the Delhi Red Fort car blast. Sources in the security said that the investigation revealed that he was radicalised and groomed as a potential attacker by the module’s mastermind, Dr Umar Nabi.

Sources said the youth met members of the terror module at a mosque in Kulgam in October 2023. He was later taken to a rented house near Al-Falah University in Faridabad, where Dr Umar Nabi , an assistant professor at the university, intensively brainwashed him over several months. The plot collapsed in April 2025 when the youth backed out, citing acute financial distress and his firm belief that suicide is prohibited in Islam.

Sources further revealed that after the youth refused to carry out the suicide mission, Dr Umar Nabi reportedly decided to execute the attack himself. He drove the explosive-laden car that detonated near Delhi’s Red Fort. Subsequent forensic examination confirmed his identity: DNA extracted from the severely charred human remains inside the vehicle matched samples provided by Dr Umar’s mother.

The detention of the Qazigund youth, which followed the earlier arrests of two co-accused doctors, Dr Adeel Rather and Dr Muzamil , proved crucial in helping Srinagar Police dismantle the entire interstate terror network linked to the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).