Srinagar, Nov 12: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday detained a preacher from Mewat, Haryana, in connection with an alleged ‘white-collar’ terror module traced to a Faridabad-based university, officials said.
The preacher, identified as Maulvi Ishtiyaq, was taken into custody and brought to Srinagar for questioning. According to investigators, Ishtiyaq had been residing in a rented accommodation within the Al Falah University complex in Faridabad, where a massive cache of explosive substances — including 2,500 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate, and sulphur — was recovered earlier this week.
Officials said Ishtiyaq is likely to be placed under arrest shortly. His detention marks the ninth arrest in the ongoing probe into the interstate terror module allegedly linked to the proscribed outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH).
The module came under the scanner following coordinated raids by the J&K Police in collaboration with counterparts in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on November 10. Investigators describe the network as a “white-collar” operation — run by educated professionals who provided logistical and financial backing to militant outfits while maintaining a façade of legitimacy.
Police sources revealed that the explosive material seized from Ishtiyaq’s residence had been stored there by Dr. Muzammil Ganaie alias Musaib and Dr. Umar Nabi. Nabi was allegedly driving the explosives-laden car that detonated near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening, claiming 12 lives and injuring several others.
Security agencies are now probing possible academic and institutional links that may have facilitated the group’s activities across state lines. The investigation, officials said, is being expanded to trace the supply chain of the explosives and identify other operatives embedded within educational or research setups.
Senior police officials described the operation as part of a broader effort to dismantle sophisticated terror networks that blend into civilian and professional environments to evade detection.
The interrogation of Maulvi Ishtiyaq is expected to shed more light on the financing channels and recruitment methods employed by the group, as agencies continue to track potential sleeper cells connected to the Red Fort blast.
