New Delhi: The deadly explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort that claimed nine lives and left over 20 injured may be part of a far more complex and far-reaching terror conspiracy than initially imagined. From the chemical labs of Gujarat to the medical corridors of Kashmir and the residential lanes of Faridabad, investigators are now tracing a disturbing trail that links multiple arrests of radicalized professionals to the capital’s car blast.
Home Minister Amit Shah, while refusing to jump to conclusions, said the investigation would be “comprehensive and multi-layered,” adding that all possibilities were being examined with forensic and anti-terror experts from the NIA, NSG, and Delhi Police’s Special Cell.
“We are exploring every angle and no possibility is being ruled out,” Shah stated, urging the nation to await the outcome of ongoing forensic analysis and interrogations.
A Chain of Arrests Before the Blast
The chain of events began on Sunday night and Monday morning, when authorities made three seemingly unconnected arrests:
• A Gujarat-based doctor, found in possession of three handguns and materials to produce ricin, a lethal biological toxin.
• Two doctors from Jammu and Kashmir, arrested in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, with an astonishing cache of 2,900 kg of explosives, including 350 kg of ammonium nitrate and two assault rifles.
• Hours later, on Monday evening, a Hyundai i20 with Haryana registration (HR26 CE 7674) exploded at a red light near the Lal Qila metro station, killing nine and setting ablaze 22 nearby vehicles.
Whether these arrests were coincidental or part of a coordinated terror network remains the central question.
The Ricin Plot: Gujarat’s “Doctor of Death”
In Gujarat, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) detained Dr. Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, a 38-year-old physician from Adalaj near Gandhinagar. Found with three pistols (two Glock and one Beretta), ammunition, and four litres of castor oil, Saiyed was allegedly in the process of synthesizing ricin, one of the most dangerous biotoxins known.
According to DIG Sunil Joshi of the Gujarat ATS, the doctor had “already begun the chemical process” and was studying ways to weaponize ricin into an aerosol form. Investigators believe he may have been planning a toxin-based attack in Delhi, Lucknow, or Ahmedabad, under the influence of Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) handlers.
Saiyed, described as “highly educated but ideologically radicalized,” was reportedly preparing to raise funds and recruit operatives for a string of chemical terror strikes.
Explosives and Assault Rifles: The Faridabad Cache
At the same time, police units from Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana raided two rented houses in Faridabad linked to another doctor, Dr. Mujammil Shakeel, employed at Al-Falah Hospital. The raids unearthed nearly three tonnes of bomb-making materials, including ammonium nitrate, detonators, and a stockpile of ammunition.
Shakeel’s associate, Dr. Adil Ahmad Rather, was arrested in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, after CCTV footage identified him putting up posters glorifying Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the Pakistan-based terrorist outfit. A third doctor, Dr. Shaheen Shahid, was also taken into custody for allegedly allowing Shakeel to store an assault rifle and ammunition in her car.
Experts estimate that the recovered ammonium nitrate could produce a blast radius of over 100 meters, capable of flattening an entire block if detonated.
Kashmir Link Deepens
In Kashmir’s Anantnag district, police teams searched the Government Medical College where Adil Rather worked until October last year. Inside a locker still accessible to him, officers discovered another assault rifle and a magazine of live rounds.
Investigators have also traced ownership of the Hyundai i20 that exploded near Red Fort to a man named Tariq, a resident of Pulwama, Kashmir though police caution that the car may have changed hands several times without formal registration updates. The car’s original owner, Salman, is now in custody for questioning.
The Red Fort Blast: Capital on Edge
Eyewitnesses described a horrifying scene as the car rolled up to the Subhash Marg signal near Gate 1 of Lal Qila Metro Station before erupting in a massive explosion, engulfing nearby vehicles and pedestrians. The intensity was such that several victims were “ripped apart beyond recognition.”
Authorities say the blast’s composition resembles materials recovered from the Faridabad raid, though forensic confirmation is still awaited. The capital has since been placed under maximum alert, with Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu tightening border and urban security in response.
A Network of Radicalized Professionals?
The arrests have raised serious concerns within India’s security establishment over the emergence of a ‘white-collar’ jihadist network, where doctors, engineers, and professionals exploit their expertise for terror-related purposes. These individuals, officials say, maintain legitimate public profiles while conducting covert operations for foreign-based handlers.
While investigators remain cautious about linking the Red Fort blast directly to the other arrests, the pattern of timing, geography, and profile similarities has drawn intense scrutiny.
As one senior intelligence official remarked: “This is no longer the face of traditional terrorism. This is educated extremism sophisticated, calculated, and far more dangerous.”
The investigation continues under the joint supervision of the NIA, NSG, IB, and multiple state police units. Meanwhile, Delhi mourns its dead and braces for answers that may reveal a chilling new dimension of terror within the nation’s own borders.