Delhi Blast Mystery: How Terror Busts May Have Triggered Panic Attack

Agreeing to the theory as a "plausible explanation" linking the Kashmir and Faridabad exposures and the explosion at Red Fort, former member of India's National Security Advisory Board, Kulbir Krishan, however, wanted to know what could the blast perpetrator be doing for such a long time in New Delhi on Monday, before triggering a blast.

"The car is seen entering from Faridabad border around 8:15 a.m. It has been observed travelling in security camera footages before reaching the parking area near a mosque. Again, it was seen parked a good three hours before the explosion," Krishan said.

The answer may perhaps lie with Umar Nabi, who if indeed was the driver, must have been blown into bits in the explosion.

But there was another "plausible theory", assuming that he was getting instruction from a handler.

He apparently panicked after raids at Faridabad unearthing huge cache of explosives and media reports detailing the terror module.

A seemingly small incident of terror posters in Srinagar unraveled into a massive terror bust in Faridabad, where doctors were found stockpiling 350 kg of explosives and AK-47 rifles.

This discovery is now being linked to the Delhi Red Fort blast that killed at least eight and injured several people, exposing a transnational terror network involving Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind operatives.

On October 27, police in Srinagar noticed individuals putting up posters supporting Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in public places.

One of those involved was identified as Adil Ahmed Rather, a senior resident doctor from Government Medical College in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police, assisted by the Special Operations Group (SOG), detained Rather and another doctor from Saharanpur and Allahabad, respectively.

A case was registered under the Arms Act and multiple sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Rather's arrest in Uttar Pradesh on November 6 led investigators to a wider network of professionals -- doctors and clerics -- acting as local operatives for terror groups.

Acting on leads from the Kashmir arrests, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Haryana Police raided a rented house in Dhauj village where they recovered large amounts of ammonium nitrate, arms, and large quantities of ammunition.

Investigators believe the explosives were being prepared for large-scale attacks with the timing of the bust and the Red Fort blast suggesting a coordinated terror plan with Delhi as a prime target.

With the news splashed across social and mass media, Umar Nabi could have realised that the noose was tightening around him and his associates, where the recruitment of doctors and clerics by terror groups highlights their using educated professionals to evade suspicion.

Authorities believe the Faridabad bust prevented a larger catastrophe, possibly a synchronised series of explosions in cities like the national capital.

While the entire operation demonstrates how early intelligence and inter-state coordination can foil devastating plots, the detailed reportage alerted the rest of the gang.

- IANS