‘Mother of Satan’ explosive, rocket launch heads, rigged LPG cylinders: NIA maps Faridabad module’s chilling terror plan

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in its extensive charge sheet filed in the Faridabad module case, has claimed that the accused had drawn up plans for a wider terror campaign stretching beyond Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, with key government buildings and crowded public places on their radar.

According to the 7,500-page charge sheet, accessed through the investigation details cited by IANS, the module had established an operational base in Lucknow to streamline the procurement of chemicals and explosive materials. Investigators said the accused had already identified local contacts in the city to help source materials required for bomb-making and logistics.

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The probe suggests that the first phase of the planned attacks was meant to target Delhi and nearby regions before shifting focus towards Uttar Pradesh. The NIA claimed that members of the module had conducted reconnaissance of several high-security locations in Lucknow, including the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Secretariat and Raj Bhawan.

“The group established a functional hub in Uttar Pradesh, not just to source bomb making material, but also to understand logistics and then carry out the attacks,” the NIA stated in its findings.

How the Faridabad module allegedly used scientific expertise

Investigators claimed the module, allegedly led by Umar Un Nabi, largely consisted of medical professionals who used their scientific knowledge to study explosives, chemical reactions and rocket propulsion systems.

The agency said the accused extensively relied on online platforms, including YouTube, to understand how agricultural chemicals could be processed into high-grade explosive compounds. During the probe, officials found that the group had procured nearly 2.5 tonnes of fertiliser allegedly intended for explosive preparation.

What has particularly alarmed investigators is the alleged use of triacetone triperoxide (TATP), commonly referred to by security agencies as the “Mother of Satan” because of its highly destructive nature and unstable composition.

Officials involved in the probe said TATP is difficult to detect through standard nitrate-based scanners deployed at many checkpoints since it is a non-nitrate explosive.

The charge sheet further claimed that the accused were aware of the risks involved in handling the chemical and had developed methods to maintain its stability. Investigators found that module members frequently visited a safe house where explosive components were allegedly stored and monitored the temperature and condition of the stockpile.

The NIA said the accused had even designed specialised cooling pitchers and used stabilising substances to reduce the risk of accidental detonation.

Rocket launch heads, pipe bombs and gas cylinders part of alleged plan

Apart from chemical explosives, investigators also documented what they described as a growing arsenal assembled by the module.

According to the probe, the accused had tested launch heads that could be used during coordinated rocket attacks. The agency also claimed the group attempted to manufacture Erythritol PETN and procured electrolysis equipment and industrial nodes allegedly meant for making pipe bombs.

Investigators further alleged that the accused had explored using domestic LPG cylinders as large improvised explosive devices by drilling openings and filling them with explosive slurry.

An official familiar with the investigation told IANS that the scale of the preparations indicated plans that extended far beyond isolated attacks in Delhi or Uttar Pradesh.

“Looking at the kind of preparations and the amount of material they had sourced, it becomes clear that they had planned on striking far beyond Delhi and Uttar Pradesh,” the official said.