Delhi blast probe: Haryana preacher claims arrested doctors misled him
What's the story
A religious preacher from Mewat, Haryana, Maulvi Ishtiyaq, was detained by the Jammu and Kashmir Police after 2,500kg of explosives were found at his rented home near Faridabad's Al Falah University, PTI reported. The university is now the center of a "white-collar" terror module investigation involving banned groups Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind. The arrests were made on November 10, when eight people were arrested in connection with this network.
Arrest details
Preacher's involvement in terror module and subsequent arrest
Maulvi Ishtiyaq was detained after Dr Muzammil Ganaie, a key member of the terror module, implicated him during interrogation. The police then recovered explosives from Ishtiyaq's residence based on Ganaie's information. During questioning, Ishtiyaq claimed that Ganaie and another suspect, Dr Umar-un-Nabi (the driver of the explosive-laden car that detonated near Delhi's Red Fort), had asked him to store what they called "fertilizers" at his home for a monthly fee of ₹2,500.
Unusual priorities
Preacher's focus on unpaid rent amid serious charges
Despite the serious nature of the charges against him, PTI reported that Ishtiyaq was more concerned about recovering unpaid rent from Ganaie and Umar. He reportedly asked officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other security agencies to recover this outstanding amount so he could send it back home. His story was corroborated by Ganaie during interrogation, leading to his handover to the State Investigation Agency (SIA) for further action.
Investigation progress
Operation to bust terror module and subsequent arrests
The operation that led to the busting of this terror module started on October 18-19, after banned JeM posters appeared outside Srinagar city. Three people, Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar (alias Shahid), were arrested after being caught on CCTV pasting these posters. They identified former paramedic turned-preacher Maulvi Irfan as the supplier of these posters, leading to his arrest. The investigation also led to Al Falah University, where 2,900kg of explosives were stored.