Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 22: The “white collar” terror module of doctors had been planning the terror strikes for the last two years and not limited to Delhi and adjoining areas but across several Indian cities, the probe into the Delhi blast case has revealed.
The nefarious plan by the module linked with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) was revealed during questioning by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of one of the arrested accused in connection with the Delhi blast near the iconic Red Fort on November 10 in which 13 people were killed and over 30 injured.
Delhi blast investigation has taken a new turn as one of the main accused, Dr Muzammil Shakeel has reportedly admits to his plans. While the terror act did take place in Delhi alone, other major cities across India were also targeted over the past two years. NIA sources confirmed his confession during interrogation, revealing a nationwide conspiracy.
The NIA sources said on Saturday that Dr Muzammil Shakeel, an associate of suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi, confessed during the interrogation that the plot was hatched in 2023. Shakeel revealed during the interrogation that he had been preparing for the blasts for two years. During these two years, he had been collecting explosives, remotes, and other bomb-making materials. The doctor was tasked with purchasing urea and ammonium nitrate, a compound that can explode when mixed with other volatile substances and detonated externally.
Muzammil also purchased 26 quintals of NPK fertiliser for Rs 3 lakh from Gurugram and Nuh in Haryana. Other explosive materials were bought from Nuh while the electronic components were purchased from two different markets in Faridabad. The doctor had also bought a deep freezer to store the chemicals in a stable environment.
His associate, Umar, was responsible for processing the fertiliser for its use in the explosives and arranging chemicals and other ingredients, sources said. A flour mill that was used by Muzammil to grind urea to prepare chemicals has also been recovered. Umar had gone through bomb-making videos and literature on the internet before he bought the explosive materials, sources said.
Sources also revealed that the conspirators themselves had funded the entire scheme and had raised Rs 26 lakhs in cash among themselves for purchasing the explosive materials. The amount was then handed over to Umar, the sources said, adding that the suicide bomber himself contributed Rs 2 lakh.
Muzammil gave another Rs 5 lakh, while other members of the terror module, Adeel Rather and Muzaffar Rather contributed Rs 8 lakh and Rs 6 lakh, and the lady doctor from Lucknow Shaheen Saeed from had chipped in with Rs 5 lakh.
Sources also confirmed that a fight had broken out between Umar and Muzammil at the Al Falah University over money. After this, Umar had given Muzammil his Red EcoSport car. The vehicle was later recovered from Faridabad. While Umar blew himself up during the blast, the other accused are in custody and are being questioned. They worked together at the Faridabad-based Al Falah University that is also under the scanner for alleged financial irregularities.
Muzammil has admitted to buying an AK-47 rifle for Rs 6.5 lakh that was later recovered from Adeel Rather’s locker. He has also confessed their handler’s names: his handler was Mansoor while Hashim was Umar’s handler. Both had been operating under the directives of a man named Ibrahim, sources said.
Muzammil, Adeel, and Muzaffar had travelled to Turkey on the instructions of Okasa, who is associated with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The plan was to enter Afghanistan but their handler backed out after making them wait for nearly a week, sources said. Officials believe Okasa used to contact Muzammil through Telegram and that their communication had ended after Muzammil asked him about his handler.
The investigators said the findings point to a multi-location blast conspiracy. The accused planned to carry out simultaneous blasts at different locations, sources said. The conspiracy is now under the radar of investigating agencies, with multiple foreign links and domestic modules emerging in the probe.
Meanwhile, the parents of some MBBS students at the Al-Falah University in Faridabad have decided to assemble in the institution to seek reassurance from the faculty and administration amid rising concerns over the university’s functioning and the future of nearly 900 students in view of the arrest of some faculty members of the university in connection with the Delhi blast.
The meeting has been initiated after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) detained the founder-chairman of the university Jawad Ahmed Siddique earlier this week. Advocate Khushpal Singh from Chandigarh, father of a MBBS student, said parents have been coordinating through WhatsApp groups, sharing information and planning a collective visit to the campus.
“Parents are extremely worried because no clear communication is coming from the administration. Many faculty members are reportedly leaving, and students are unsure who will teach them or what will happen next,” he said, adding that they hope to meet university officials to understand what steps are being taken to stabilise academics and hospital postings.
Several parents said their primary concern was the possibility of the National Medical Commission (NMC) reviewing or withdrawing the university’s recognition, which could leave students, especially those in their final years without a clear academic pathway. “If NMC takes any action, where will our children go? Some are in their fourth year. Their future cannot be left hanging,” a parent from Delhi said.
Parents emphasised that the gathering was an attempt to get clarity on the way forward. They said students have been reporting administrative uncertainty, difficulty reaching faculty, and confusion around upcoming examinations and clinical rotations. “We are only trying to understand what happens next. The children are scared. We need answers so we can guide them,” said a mother from Agra.
Families also expressed disappointment that neither government agencies nor major stakeholders have yet addressed students’ academic concerns. “Media coverage has been focused on the investigation, but no one is talking about the students. Their future is at stake,” Singh said.
Parents say they would request a structured briefing from the vice chancellor and senior faculty, along with a written update on academic continuity, hospital training, hostel safety and contingency plans in case regulatory scrutiny intensified.