Fresh Raids Conducted in Shopian’s Padpawan Forest Belt

SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday intensified its investigation into the Delhi blast case by conducting a fresh raid in the Padpawan area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

The operation, carried out by multiple NIA teams, focused on a forested stretch where the agency brought along Yasir Ahmad Dar, the ninth accused arrested in the case. Dar, a resident of Shopian, was apprehended from Delhi on December 18 and was taken to the area to assist investigators in locating evidence believed to be linked to the wider conspiracy. Officials confirmed that the searches are part of the ongoing probe, noting that “multiple teams are conducting searches in and around Padpawan, and further details are awaited.”

Dar’s arrest marked the ninth formal arrest in the high-profile terror case registered as RC-21/2025/NIA/DLI. He has been charged under stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

According to the NIA, Dar played an active role in the conspiracy behind the deadly blast, which killed at least 15 people and injured dozens, making it one of the most devastating terror attacks in Delhi in recent years. Investigators allege that Dar had sworn allegiance to the plot and expressed readiness to undertake “self-sacrificial operations.” He was also allegedly in close contact with key conspirators, including Dr. Umar Un Nabi, a doctor from Pulwama who carried out the suicide bombing, and Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay, a cleric accused of ideological indoctrination and recruitment.

The blast occurred on the evening of November 10, when a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) detonated inside a Hyundai i20 parked near Gate No. 3 of the Red Fort, a crowded and historically significant area. The explosion caused extensive damage and widespread panic. Forensic evidence later confirmed that Dr. Umar was the suicide bomber.

The investigation has since uncovered what officials describe as a sophisticated “white-collar terror module”—a network of highly educated individuals, including doctors, a pharmacologist, and other professionals, who allegedly used their positions as a cover for radicalisation, recruitment, planning, and logistical support. The module is suspected to have links with Pakistan-based groups, including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

The widening probe has led to a series of arrests across J&K, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Among those arrested is Amir Rashid Ali of Pampore, Pulwama, accused of providing vehicle registration and logistical support. Another key arrest was Jasir Bilal Wani alias Danish, taken into custody on November 17 from Qazigund, Anantnag, for allegedly offering technical expertise, including drone modifications. On November 20, the NIA formally took over four accused initially detained by the J&K Police including Dr. Muzammil Shakeel Ganai, a doctor at Al-Falah University in Faridabad, accused of planning and facilitation; Dr. Adeel Ahmed Rather, allegedly involved in planning roles; Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay, responsible for ideological radicalisation and recruitment; and Dr. Shaheen Saeed alias “Madam Surgeon,” a Lucknow-based pharmacologist accused of recruiting women into the module.

Subsequent arrests included Dr. Bilal Naseer Malla from Baramulla, accused of harbouring Dr. Umar and destroying evidence, and then Yasir Dar, believed to be an active conspirator with direct ties to the bomber. The NIA also detained Soyab on November 25 from Dhauj in Faridabad for providing shelter and logistical support to the bomber. On November 28, the agency arrested Mohammad Asif, the imam of Bilali Mosque in Banbhulpura, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, for ideological and logistical links, along with his associate Nazar Kamal, an electrician accused of offering technical assistance.

The NIA has conducted extensive raids across multiple locations, including Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, and forested areas of Anantnag in J&K, Al-Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana and several sites in Uttar Pradesh. These operations have resulted in the seizure of digital devices, documents, and other incriminating materials.

On December 1 and earlier, searches were carried out at the residences of Wagay, Rather, Ganai, and several over-ground workers. A joint search operation was later conducted in the Mattan forest of Anantnag, with accused Rather and Wani present, to identify possible training sites and recover concealed items.

Officials say the investigation is now focused on dismantling the module’s funding channels, communication networks, and potential cross-border handlers. With new leads emerging and the scope of the conspiracy expanding, further arrests and disclosures are expected as the multi-agency probe continues to intensify.