NIA probes function of Shopian clerics in Purple Fort blast

New Delhi|Srinagar: The Nationwide Investigation Company (NIA) will probe the function of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad Waghay, a suspected terror mastermind arrested from Shopian, and Zamir Ahmad from Wakura, Ganderbal, between October 20 and 27. Waghay is amongst seven folks held by the Jammu and Kashmir Police following the restoration of weapons and bomb-making chemical substances in Faridabad, and the blast close to the Purple Fort in Delhi on Monday that has to this point claimed 13 lives.

Based on police, Waghay, a Hafiz-e-Quran, memorised the holy Quran in his hometown of Shopian and later accomplished a Mufti course from a seminary in Srinagar earlier than becoming a member of the Jama Masjid, the place he lived in rented lodging.

“Waghay got here in contact with the docs, in all probability throughout therapy at a hospital in Srinagar. They later stayed in touch and related additional on social media,” stated a senior police official.
The police have widened their investigation and are analyzing all contacts of the docs arrested within the case. “Groups have been despatched to Authorities Medical Faculty, Srinagar, and GMC Anantnag to hint any hyperlinks of the docs presently in custody,” one other investigating official stated.

The NIA has constituted a particular crew to probe the assault and can query Dr Adeel, arrested from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on November 5, and one other accused arrested on November 7.

Officers stated the group was influenced by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and had deliberate a vehicle-borne IED (VBIED) assault much like the 2019 Pulwama bombing carried out by Adil Dar. The police on Wednesday recovered a second automotive, meant for use because the VBIED by one of many suspects, from a village in Haryana.Investigators additionally discovered that Waghay was in common contact by VoIP with handlers in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Purple Fort suicide bomber, Dr Umar Nabi, was carefully related to him. Dr Shaheen Sayeed, a resident of Lucknow and a trainer at Al-Falah College, has emerged because the financier and alleged India commander of JeM's ladies's wing, Jamaat-ul-Mominaat. Police are additionally probing Dr Muzammil Ganaie for a number of reconnaissance visits to the Purple Fort in January, suspected to be a part of a plan to focus on the monument on January 26 this yr.

In the meantime, the J&Okay Police on Wednesday continued investigations into the busted Jaish module and introduced two extra accused from Faridabad to Srinagar for questioning. These detained embrace Dr Bilal and Hafeez Muhammad Ishtiaq, the Imam of Al-Falah Masjid in Faridabad.