Delhi Red Fort car blast: Did the doctor terror module plan 26/11-style Mumbai attacks?

Dubai: The car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed 13 people on Monday evening was not an isolated act of terror but part of a far larger conspiracy inspired by the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, investigators have revealed.

According to intelligence sources, quoted by NDTV, the “white-collar terror module” — composed mainly of radicalised doctors — had been preparing a coordinated assault on the heart of the capital, targeting landmarks such as the Red Fort, India Gate, Constitution Club, Gauri Shankar Temple, and major railway stations and shopping hubs.

The plan mirrored the 2008 Mumbai carnage, when gunmen struck at several locations simultaneously.

In Delhi, the group allegedly linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) was preparing over 200 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to unleash multiple blasts across Delhi, Gurugram and Faridabad.

The conspiracy, officials say, had been in motion since January 2025.

Investigators describe the operatives as radicalised doctors from Pulwama, Shopian and Anantnag — men and women chosen precisely because their medical credentials provided a perfect cover.

“They could move freely through hospitals and residential zones without raising suspicion,” a senior officer said.

Operating from rented houses in Faridabad’s Dhauj and Fatehpur Taga, they allegedly stockpiled large quantities of explosives and chemical components.

Among those in custody are Dr Shaheen Saeed, Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganaie, and Dr Adeel Rather — all linked to Al Falah University in Faridabad.

Another suspect, Dr Umar Nabi, is believed to have been the suicide bomber who died in the blast.

Three other doctors from the same university were detained for questioning but may be released, officials said.

Dr Saeed was arrested after police found an assault rifle and ammunition in her car. Investigators allege she was building a women’s wing for Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Muzammil Ganaie, meanwhile, was caught with 2,900kg of explosive material and has confessed to planning a Diwali-time strike that was later aborted.

CCTV footage shows Umar Nabi entering a parking area near the Red Fort at 3:19pm on November 10 and remaining inside his Hyundai i20 until 6:28pm, when the vehicle exploded on Netaji Subhash Marg, engulfing nearby cars in flames.

He never stepped out during those three hours — investigators suspect he was either awaiting instructions or hesitating to act.

Crucially, sources told NDTV that his intended strike point — the Red Fort parking lot — was deserted because the monument is closed on Mondays.

“After waiting for hours, he drove into traffic, possibly panicked, and detonated the device,” an officer said.

New findings suggest the module may originally have plotted an attack for Republic Day, when the parade route from Rashtrapati Bhavan to the Red Fort teems with VVIPs and thousands of spectators.

Analysis of mobile-tower dump data shows Dr Muzammil Ganaie visiting the Red Fort area multiple times in January 2025 — detailed reconnaissance runs that coincide with parade rehearsals.

“His movement data places him near the Red Fort repeatedly in the first week of January,” a senior investigator confirmed.

Police now believe the Republic Day plan was shelved after heavy security deployments forced the group to look for alternative dates.

The Faridabad module was, investigators say, designed as a “clean-hand” network — professionals with legitimate jobs, academic credentials, and financial independence, able to move unnoticed through urban centres.

The arrests have exposed what officials describe as a disturbing new face of home-grown militancy— educated operatives blending into India’s professional class.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the CBI-led Special Cell are now tracking the group’s digital communications, funding channels, and cross-border links.

Forensic experts are also studying the chemical composition of the explosives recovered from Faridabad and the Red Fort blast site.

The doctor-terrorists, officials warn, were just weeks away from launching a multi-city offensive meant to rival 26/11 in scale — an operation that, had it succeeded, could have changed Delhi forever.